Movie Review: God's NOT Dead

“And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write,

‘These things says the First and the Last, who was dead, and came to life: “I know your works, tribulation, and poverty (but you are rich); and I know the blasphemy of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer. Indeed, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.

“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death.”
Revelation 2:8-11 [Emphasis Added]

Yesterday, we saw God's Not Dead.  Two hours earlier, Pastor Danny preached on the Church at Smyrna (the quote from Revelation above).  Only God could line those two up.

God's Not Dead has something for everyone.  Non-believers get the full gospel message (twice!).  The film has FANTASTIC apologetics (including *Hallelujah* Genesis!!!).  At it's core, however, God's Not Dead is a triumphant examination of perseverance in the face of persecution.

Based on several true stories, the plot centers around Josh Wheaton, a first-semester LSU freshman who grew up in the Church.  On the first day, Josh is attacked by Professor Radisson, a conventional anti-Christian totalitarian.  Josh is forced to defend the existence of God in front of the class.  To do so, Josh embarks in a challenging, faith-deepening, study of apologetics.  Simultaneously, the story integrates several sub-plots, all of which center on persecution.

Every faithful Christian suffers.  Josh loses his "Christian" girlfriend who, in a display of courage worthy of Caiphas, fears for her academic standing.  Aiesha, an Islamic girl who secretly comes to faith in Christ, is beaten and thrown out of the house by her father.  Mina is emotionally abused by the same Professor Radisson that threatens Josh.  But everyone who perseveres triumphs (eventually).

One noteworthy scene was the cameo by Willie Robertson.  Having been ambushed by some progressive blogger chick, Robertson responds with grace and kindness.  We've never watched Duck Dynasty, but we hasten to add that Willie Robertson's wife is smoking hot; Proverbs 31 indeed!!!

The film's biggest drawback is character development, especially for the villains.  While the totalitarian professor and the Islamic father were well done, others came across as one-dimensional caricatures.  The progressive blogger chick was the worst.  We can't shake the feeling the writers have never met a progressive blogger chick, otherwise the character would have been less idealistic and more of an entitled narcissist.  Chicks like that are a dime-a-dozen in East Austin, and a more realistic portrayal would have made the character more believable and less likable.

God's Not Dead is the second rock solid Biblical  film this month.  It is a rousing defense of the faith that inspires believers to endure temporary trials.  It's the best movie we've seen in a long time.

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Julian Castro (and Notre Dame) insult Catholics

“Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were drowned in the depth of the sea."
Matthew 18:6

Sigh, of course:



HIGHLIGHTS:

It's the mayor's opinion on the issue of abortion and gay marriage that he thinks should keep him from speaking at Notre Dame, a predominantly Catholic university.

"Unfortunately, Mayor Castro has been very vocal in opposing these principles," Dunnigan said.

"You can't take off your faith and hang it on a hook like an overcoat," he said.

-----

Our two cents: The Obama comparison doesn't hold.  Obama was already President when he spoke at Notre Dame.  Julian Castro, by contrast, is using Notre Dame to build his resume.  A faithful institution wouldn't give this platform to this aspiring Marxist revolutionary.  But, since Notre Dame are progressives first and Catholics a distant second (if at all), who cares if babies are torn up in their mama's womb?!?

Katrina Pierson rips Corporate Food Stamp Welfare

"Dishonest scales are an abomination to the Lord,
But a just weight is His delight."
Proverbs 11:1

GREAT appearance the other day on Cavuto:



HIGHLIGHTS:

•  "This is, in effect, cheating."

• Wal-Mart spends $7 million a year on Lobbyists.

• "This is supposed to be about food and nutrition, not KFC and Taco Bell."

-----

The windfall profits J.P. Morgan Chase makes operating the debit cards are another example of egregious corporate welfare in the food stamp program.

-----

Finally, we find it hilariously ironic that, when we (briefly) saw Kat last weekend, we were late to the event because we were shopping at Wal-Mart!!!

Black Woman Continues to foil Texas Democrats

Destroy, O Lord, and divide their tongues,
For I have seen violence and strife in the city.
Day and night they go around it on its walls;
Iniquity and trouble are also in the midst of it.
Destruction is in its midst;
Oppression and deceit do not depart from its streets.
Psalm 55:9-11

Kesha Rogers continues to give them fits:

Kesha Rogers is a Democrat despite favoring Obama's impeachment and holding other party-questioned moves

Kesha Rogers of Houston, whom we’ve described as a Lyndon LaRouche Democrat, isn’t even a Democrat, according to the chairman of the Texas Democratic Party.

....

A Rogers adviser, Harley Schlanger, the Western States spokesman for the Lyndon LaRouche PAC, urged us to check Hinojosa’s not-a-Democrat declaration, pointing out that thrice before Rogers has run as a Democrat for a Texas post.

The state party has been emphatic about LaRouche Democrats not being mainstream. An example of that: In a March 19, 2014, commentary, LaRouche--a longstanding conspiracy theorist and former presidential candidate--called Obama a lackey for the queen of England intent on global thermonuclear warfare. LaRouche also speculated about Obama’s imprisonment or suicide.

....

Rogers' past candidacies

Texas Democrats twice nominated Rogers as the party's candidate to represent the Houston-area 22nd Congressional District and Rogers previously ran for state party chair.

In 2010, Rogers carried 53 percent of the primary vote to capture the Democratic nomination for the House seat representing CD 22, according to the Texas Secretary of State’s office, and she won the party’s 2012 nod to represent the district by carrying 51 percent of the primary vote, defeating the other hopeful. At the 2006 Democratic state convention, Rogers finished last among candidates for party chair, attracting 98 delegate votes, or 1.5 percent, according to a June 11, 2006, blog post by the pro-Democratic Burnt Orange Report.

So, Rogers is making her fourth run for a post as a Democrat.

We turned next to Texas laws touching on party identification.

....

Rogers' voting history

This leads us to a traditional though crude way of gauging a Texan’s lean: their history of voting (or not) in party primaries. Any registered voter can vote in any primary (though they can't switch to the other party's runoffs). Still, as we wrote in a 2010 fact check, voting in a primary doesn't always mean a person sees himself as belonging to that party. Most voters abstain from primaries.

To our query, Democratic pollster Jeff Smith of Austin, citing data he jointly owns with the party, said Rogers voted in Harris County in the 2002 through 2008 Democratic primaries and November general elections. He said Rogers voted in the county’s 2014 Democratic primary after voting in Fort Bend County in the 2010 and 2012 Democratic primaries and general elections. He said the records show no instances of Rogers voting in a Republican primary.

For her part, Rogers told us she's been a life-long Democrat. "I’m a Democrat because I represent the true traditions of the Democratic Party," Rogers said by phone. "I don’t represent the Wall Street leg of the Democratic Party, which has now taken control."

Expert observers

Finally, we asked close observers of Texas politics including Mark Jones, an oft-quoted Rice University political scientist, to weigh in.

By email, Jones said that it’s inaccurate to say Rogers isn’t a Democrat. "While Kesha Rogers without question holds positions on many issues that are sharply at odds with those of most Democrats," Jones wrote, "she has the right to profess to be a Democrat and run for public office as a Democrat... In the United States in general, and in Texas in particular, anyone can claim to be a Democrat or Republican and compete in that party's primary," Jones said, "even if they hold positions that are anathema to an overwhelming majority of people that identify with and support the party.

....

Our ruling

Hinojosa said Rogers isn’t a Democrat.

We don’t see how to factually reconcile this statement, tied to disagreement with Rogers’ anti-Obama views, with Rogers twice winning primaries to become the party’s nominee for a House seat. Under state law, too, a voter affiliates with a party by voting in its primary, which Rogers has done repeatedly.

We rate this claim as False.

Ouch!!!

"Third World Practices" -- Greg Abbott proven right!!!

"But You, O God, shall bring them down to the pit of destruction;
Bloodthirsty and deceitful men shall not live out half their days;
But I will trust in You."
Psalm 55:23

Remember, six weeks ago, when Greg Abbott made a valid comparison between political corruption in South Texas and the third world?!?  Remember how Battleground and team Barbie screamed racist?!?  Yeah:

EDINBURG — An Hidalgo County election adviser claimed Saturday to have proof of voter tampering in this month’s Democratic primary, prompting three losing candidates to say they will formally challenge the results.

Two more candidates hired an attorney in an apparent preliminary move toward filing an election challenge ahead of Monday’s deadline.

Paul Vazaldua and Elvia Rios, who ran for Justice of the Peace in Precinct 2 Place 2, and Rey Ortiz, who ran for the 92nd state District Court judgeship, said on Saturday they plan to file an official election contest.

“I will be filing an election challenge on Monday and the basis of that is because I have read too many reports — too many significant reports — that talk about malfunctions with this voting system,” Vazaldua said in a telephone interview. “And I think that a voting challenge on my part is on behalf of not only my supporters, but it’s on behalf of anyone who participated in the election process.”

....

Leslie Gower, the president of the Hidalgo County Chapter of the Texas Democratic Women and an adviser to some of the candidates, said Saturday that she has proof of vote tampering in the election.

With all due respect, Battleground, try again.

Throwback Thursday: Ken Paxton endorses the Texas Budget Compact

"For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it— lest, after he has laid the foundation, and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish’?"
Luke 14:28-30

Longtime readers know the Texas Budget Compact was the first public policy stand this website took.  Failure to pass the Texas Budget Compact last session was the Genesis of this website's disdain for the Republican 'leadership' of the Texas House.  On a hunch, we checked Ken Paxton's position:

Post by Ken Paxton.

The choice in this race is so, so, clear....

Travis County to Consider Public Intoxication Alternative

He has shown you, O man, what is good;
And what does the Lord require of you
But to do justly,
To love mercy,
And to walk humbly with your God?
Micah 6:8

This is a fantastic idea:

Under current state law, police officers have three options once they arrest someone for public intoxication: They can release the person to a sober friend, transport him to the hospital or put him in jail.

A group of law enforcement, criminal justice and medical officials are working toward a fourth option — a sobriety center, also known as a “drunk tank,” which would allow intoxicated individuals to become sober and eventually be released without facing criminal charges.

On March 11, Travis County commissioners unanimously passed a resolution encouraging county staffers to work with the City of Austin and Seton Healthcare Family hospitals to develop a plan for a sobriety center. Austin City Council approved a similar resolution on March 20. The county staffers are expected to report back by Sept. 1.

History Lesson: Dan Branch gets mopey for Bill Powers

He delivered me from my strong enemy,
From those who hated me,
For they were too strong for me.
Psalm 18:17

Gross:

Rep. Dan Branch, R-Dallas, was less emotional than Dewhurst, but still sang Powers’ praises saying he has “been an outstanding president of the University of Texas.”

“He stands at the lead of so many of those great university leaders,” said Branch, who authored a resolution to honor Powers.

Powers was being recognized as a co-winner of the John G. Fleming Memorial Prize for Torts Scholarship and his nomination to the vice chairmanship of the Association of American Universities, an association of 62 public and private research universities in the U.S. and Canada.

At least he got his 30 pieces of silver free football tickets.

History Lesson: Dan Branch, Straus "Absolutely" Conservative Enough

"For He has delivered me out of all trouble;
And my eye has seen its desire upon my enemies."
Psalm 54:7

No comment necessary:



Highlights:

• "Calling it a race would be generous."

• "There's been a lot of blogging out there...."
• Annnd?!?

• Straus: "Absolutely" Conservative enough to lead TX House.
• "I think he's gotten a really bad rap on that."

To eliminate Joe Straus (and Bill Powers), first bury Dan Branch

"Do not fret because of evildoers,
Nor be envious of the workers of iniquity.
For they shall soon be cut down like the grass,"
Psalm 37:1-2

Following the buzz our Scott Turner piece generated last week, a friend asked what they could do to help.  The speaker's race won't heat up until late summer.  In the meantime, one runoff stands out:

Bury Dan Branch by a wide margin.

Dan Branch is the highest profile Straus lieutenant in a runoff.  Branch was one of Straus' original band of RINO backstabbers; he's currently Straus' handpicked higher-ed committee chairman.  Joe Straus can't use the restroom unless Dan Branch provides a reach-around shake.

When electing a Texas House Speaker, remember that the electorate is the members.  In a speaker's race, only 150 votes matter.  Those 150 members will vote their political interest (as they see it).

For those members to turn on Straus, they need to see support for Straus as more harmful than the money Straus brings to the table.  The March primary sent that lesson.  The May runoff needs to re-enforce it.

In 2012, Ted Cruz beat Dewhurst with 56% in the runoff; when Ken Paxton beats Branch with 57% (or higher), the direction of movement will become undeniable.

Scott Turner will be a great Speaker, but he's still an underdog.  For Scott to win, the members need to fear the Tea Party more than they covet Straus' blood money.  The next step in that process is to make an example out of Dan Branch.

Book Review: The Circle Maker, by Mark Batterson

"And the Lord said to Joshua: “See! I have given Jericho into your hand, its king, and the mighty men of valor. You shall march around the city, all you men of war; you shall go all around the city once. This you shall do six days. And seven priests shall bear seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the ark. But the seventh day you shall march around the city seven times, and the priests shall blow the trumpets."
Joshua 6:2-4

"And it came to pass, at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near and said, “Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that You are God in Israel and I am Your servant, and that I have done all these things at Your word. Hear me, O Lord, hear me, that this people may know that You are the Lord God, and that You have turned their hearts back to You again.”

Then the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood and the stones and the dust, and it licked up the water that was in the trench."
1 Kings 18:36-38

"Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went home. And in his upper room, with his windows open toward Jerusalem, he knelt down on his knees three times that day, and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as was his custom since early days."
Daniel 6:10

If you are reading this review at this moment in your life, there's a reason.  As Mark Batterson explains: "[W]e specifically prayed that God would get the book into the right hands at the right time" (58).  Given the circumstances under which we purchased and read the Circle Maker, we are confident the Lord has answered Mark Batterson's prayer.

We first heard of Mark Batterson when a member of his church posted this article to Facebook.  Having grown up in 1980's New York City, the Lord's specific power over a crack house always impressed.  Our pastor has plugged the book for a year.  We didn't read the book, however, until after the March 2014 primary.  Remember that detail.

The Circle Maker is a written sermon about prayer.  Batterson illustrates how bold, persistent, and specific prayer accomplishes miracles when accompanied by a tireless work ethic.  Batterson cites the March around Jericho, Elijah's prayer for rain, and Daniel's prayer for restoration as Biblical examples.  He recalls several episodes from his Church's testimony as examples.  The key is to mix prayer with action.

To summarize in five bullet points:

• Pray Boldly -- Nothing honors God like a prayer so big only He can fill it. (45)

• Pray Specifically -- A detailed prayer gives God greater opportunity to undeniably reveal Himself as the source of the blessing. 

• Pray Persistently -- This is what trips most people up.  God works on His timeline, not ours.  Unfortunately, most people give up instead of praying through.
• "God knows that if He provides too much too soon, we lose our spiritual hunger." (112)
• "Praying through is long and boring...but very few of us are willing to love that long or pray that hard." (140)
• "Prayer intensity is a product of prayer consistency." (151)
• "Every breakthrough has a Genesis and a Revelation." (168)
• Sometimes it's instant, sometimes it takes decades.
• "One step at a time." (195)

• Physical Location and Posture Matter -- We don't fully understand this one, but we concur with Batterson's Biblical examples and have experienced a similar phenomenon personally.

• "Pray like it depends on God while working like it depends on you" -- Besides persistence, action is the other area where many fall short.  Usually, we need to act first (118).  But if you mix persistent prayer with persistent action, there's no limit to the miracles God will use you to accomplish.

-----

A personal example: In 2012, the day after Barack Obama's re-election, we did major business with the Lord.  He was clear about where we were to stand.  One of those missions is to protect and strengthen Texas' economy.

Since then, our yearning for God to create an oasis of peace and prosperity in Texas amidst the coming global chaos has been our dominant prayer.  We've said countless prayers on this topic (including hundreds around Governor Perry alone).  We can only accomplish this objective with God.

That same desire for an oasis of peace and prosperity drives everything we do at the state level.  Due to our size, Texas has a unique potential to weather the coming global economic Cluster[REDACTED].  Unfortunately, big-ticket economic reforms don't pass themselves.  They require electing candidates to pass legislation.  Both the electoral and legislative processes are long and boring.

There have been plenty of setbacks.  The budget debacle of the 83rd legislature was heartbreaking.  John Cornyn stabbed Ted Cruz in the back.  But through it all, we persistently prayed and worked.  On primary day 2014, the Lord moved.

Like we stated above, we find it interesting that the Lord put a copy of The Circle Maker in our hand shortly after primary 2014.  Our experience in the trenches of Texas politics illustrates the principles Batterson discusses.  A prayer whose Genesis was November 7, 2012 had it's first Revelation on March 6, 2014.

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As Batterson explains: "God answers prayer to bring glory to His name....[t]here is nothing God loves more than proving His faithfulness" (197).  In order for the Lord to move, however, we first need to ask for Him to prove it.  The Circle Maker, by Mark Batterson, is a robust presentation of the power of prayer mixed with action.

Have YOU endorsed Ken Paxton?!?

"When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice"
Proverbs 29:2 (a)

In the race for Texas Attorney General, Ken Paxton is the clear choice of grassroots conservatives.

Now is your opportunity to add your name to the list; Cahnman's Musings endorsed Ken Paxton in January and donated to his campaign earlier this month.

And yes, we are talking about THIS Ken Paxton:

History Lesson: Dan Branch's slush fund for Bill Powers

"May the Lord cut off all flattering lips,
And the tongue that speaks proud things,"
Psalm 12:3

In 2012, under the 'leadership' of Bill Powers, the University of Texas was embroiled in a $215 million accounting scandal.

How did the Texas House committee on Higher Education, under the 'leadership' of Dan Branch, respond?!?

Was there an investigation?!? Nope.

Was there any attempt to hold the UT administration accountable?!?  Negative.

Instead, Branch focused on helping the University issue new debt:

The Texas House appropriations committee gave tentative approval to House Bill 5 on Thursday, which authorizes and appropriates millions of dollars for construction and maintenance projects at public colleges across Texas.

Appropriations chair Jim Pitts thanked his fellow legislators for their support of the measure, a near-duplicate of which was passed by the House in the regular session. That version died when the House and Senate failed to make an eleventh-hour deal. House higher education chair Dan Branch (R-Dallas), the bill’s author, outlined the measure before it was passed and referred to the calendars committee, which schedules bills to be considered by the full House.

The mechanism for funding these projects, tuition revenue bonds (TRBs), provide debt service for the costs incurred by new construction or maintenance. The current legislation would partially fund 62 projects around the state, including funding 100 percent of projects at three brand new universities.

....

Legislators like Pitts and Branch hope to convince Perry that the bonds, not passed since 2006, will keep Texas competitive both economically and academically. He points to the EERC as an example of a project that will not only keep talented students in Texas, but attract students and faculty to Texas. Branch says he has spoken to Perry on the topic, and worked closly with the governor’s senior staff.

“My sense is that he’s heard from a lot of people around the state,” Branch says, “and so I think he’s paying attention.”

[Sidenote: Because Jim Pitts' relationship with the University of Texas is soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo distinguished!!!]

And what exactly are "Tuition Revenue Bonds"?!?

Tuition Revenue Bonds (TRBs) are issued under the RFS program and are secured by the same pledge of all legally available revenues of the System; however, the expectation is that the State will reimburse TRB debt service with general revenue. Despite the name, TRB debt service is not necessarily paid from tuition and fees. In fact, an institution is not required to have tuition in order to be eligible for TRB debt proceeds. Tuition Revenue Bond debt is specifically authorized by the Legislature under Ch. 55 of the Education Code. Please see Ch. 55 of the Education Code for further detail regarding this topic.  [Emphasis Added.]

Translated into English: Taxpayer-backed slush fund.

In 2012, Bill Powers lied on the University of Texas' financial statement to the tune of $215 million.  In 2013, Dan Branch attempted to reward Powers with an additional $310 million in taxpayer backed bonding authority.  What could possibly go wrong?!?

Everything You Need to Know about Dan Branch in One Picture

The one who has a haughty look and a proud heart,
Him I will not endure.
Psalm 101:5(b)

Dallas, TX --With all due respect to Clint Eastwood and Barack Obama, this is perfect:

Scott Turner: "We're going to the floor"

"When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice;
But when a wicked man rules, the people groan."
Proverbs 29:2

Dallas, TX -- Texas House Speaker Candidate Scott Turner just appeared at the SD-16 convention in North Dallas.  Turner tells Cahnman's Musings: "We're going to the floor baby" (ie. there will be a recorded vote).  When we asked if that was on the record, Turner replied "that's on the record AND you can quote me!"

Incoming state rep Matt Rinaldi tells Cahnman's Musings he intends to personally call for a recorded speaker vote.

Consider yourselves warned....

Democrat Dallas County Judge Commends Katrina Pierson

"For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope."
Jeremiah 29:11

Dallas County Democrats haven't covered themselves in glory this week, but this is a classy move:

In other Katrina news, she had a stellar appearance on Fox earlier this week:

History Lesson: Dan Branch Backstabs Wallace Hall

"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness.'
Matthew 23:27

Cahnman's Musings has previously described Wallace Hall as the Ted Cruz of Texas Higher Education; we guess that makes Dan Branch another John Cornyn:

I’ve never received a call from anybody. Dan Branch has been a friend of mine for many years. He’s never asked me a question about this situation, and the next thing I know he’s asking his staff to investigate the rules for impeachment.

But why stand up for a friend when you can get football tickets from Bill Powers?!?

Texas Democrats Bully Black Woman

And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’
Matthew 25:40

Kesha Rogers' campaign is crack for bloggers:

Dallas News | myFOXdfw.com

Highlights:

• "The Dallas County Democratic Party does not recognize....Kesha Rogers."

•  "It says that the party is weak, and the frontline candidates, candidates who have some experience, success in running statewide, don't exist in the Democratic Party."

Throwback Thursday: Dan Branch Endorses Joe Straus

“How long shall I bear with this evil congregation who complain against Me?"
Numbers 14:27(a)

It's not a secret that Dan Branch is a Straus lieutenant, but this video is a great example of ass-kissing chutzpah:



Highlights:

•  "Joe Straus is a lifelong conservative."

•  "I think it's a bad rap to say Joe Straus isn't a conservative."

Battleground Texas Reveals its Incompetence

"And it shall be, that just as the Lord rejoiced over you to do you good and multiply you, so the Lord will rejoice over you to destroy you and bring you to nothing; and you shall be plucked from off the land which you go to possess."
Deuteronomy 28:63

[Author's Note: Unfortunately, the original article is behind a paywall; quotes are transcribed by hand from a paper copy.]

Ouch; from Tuesday's S.A. Express-News:

Proclaiming a passion to serve, Manuel Cevallos quit his job at Head Start to campaign for the position of Guadelupe County Precinct 2 justice of the peace.

But despite running unopposed for the Democratic nomination, the former two-term Seguin city councilman was disqualified because he voted in the March 4 Republican primary.

....

He was unaware of a Texas Election Code provision that disqualifies nominees if they voted in the opposing party's primary. Texas doesn't allow voters to participate in both the Republican and Democratic primaries.

Cevallos said he participated in the Republican primary to have a voice in the race for Guadelupe county judge, which featured only incumbent Larry Jones and County Comissioner Kyle Kutscher, who beat Jones. No Democrat was on the ballot.

....

[If Guadalupe County Democrats can't find a replacement candidate through an obscure process], the only Democrat on the general election ballot for county office will be former Seguin council Mary Louise Gonzales, who faces GOP nominee Jack Shanafelt Sr. in the race for Precinct 2 county commissioner.

Battleground Texas (and Team Barbie) say they want to "turn Texas Blue."  Fortunately, their actions don't match their rhetoric.  Their candidate recruitment has been, at best, insufficient.  Now, they can't keep one of the few candidates they managed to recruit on the ballot.  That's just pathetic.

On Rick Perry Endorsing McConnell

"...bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do."
Colossians 3:13

Last week, Rick Perry made a disappointing endorsement; having reflected a few days, we've reached a decision:

We don't care.

This isn't the first race where we've disagreed with Rick Perry.  It won't be the last.  But we also remember when he endorsed Wayne Christian in 2012.  Over 14 years in office, Rick Perry has made some outstanding endorsements.  And boy, did he ever get the recent Texas Supreme Court primary correct.

Besides, in the grand scheme of things, replacing Bill Powers is more important than replacing Mitch McConnell.

Rick Perry remains the best governor in America.  He remains the patron saint of the Texas Model.  A disappointing endorsement in an out of state race won't change that.

History Lesson: Dan Branch Helps Kill Babies

"But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea."
Mark 9:42

We had intended to address this today, but Breitbart Texas beat us to the punch:

At issue is an amendment authored by Branch back in 2005 that attempted to add to legislation dealing with health care issues. During floor debate, former Rep. Will Hartnett (R-Dallas) offered an amendment to ban third trimester abortions. Branch then offered his amendment to the amendment, that could have expanded the situations in which third-trimester abortions are allowed in the state.

His proposed language would have banned third-trimester abortions "when the viable unborn child does not have a severe, irreversible brain or vital organ impairment.” The original bill allowed for such late-term abortions in the instance of “irreversible brain” impairment only.

According to a Breitbart Texas interview with Texas Right-to-Life Executive Director Elizabeth Graham, Branch’s proposed amendment gave broader latitude to third-term abortions.

"Had Branch’s amendment passed, abortions would be allowed in the third trimester if the child suffered ’impairment of a vital organ,' a judgment call that would have been made by the abortionist who makes a substantial profit off these late abortions," said Graham, whose organization has endorsed Branch's opponent in the run-off. Graham added, “And what exactly was meant by 'impairment'—diminished function? Temporarily slowed function? Function that could be improved or cured with treatment? The term was undefined, ambiguous at best, and left to the interpretation of the abortionist."

....

Branch's amendment failed on a "motion to table," but did garner 55 votes in the 150-seat House. Republicans overwhelmingly rejected the measure, with the exception of Rep. Joe Straus (then a first-time legislator from San Antonio) and a handful of others.

[Emphasis Added]

But why save lives when you can help Joe Straus fund-raise from Planned Parenthood?!?

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Update: More from Team Paxton here.

History Lesson: Dan Branch and the Texas Margins Tax

The Texas Margins tax is an asinine and noxious piece of public policy, as TPPF explained in 2012:

One problematic area for Texas is the revised franchise tax or “margin tax.” Mounting evidence suggests that the four-year old margin tax, the state’s primary business tax, has harmed Texas’ economic competitiveness because of its costly and complicated nature, its imposition irrespective of an employer’s profitability, and its contribution to an overall increase in the total business tax burden. Collectively, these factors are putting downward pressure on the state’s economy and weakening its economic competitiveness among the states.

The margins tax arose in the mid-2000's when Republicans in the Texas Legislature chose to appease the last round of hostage taking from the government school lobby.

Now who, pray tell, helped write the margins tax?!?

Thaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat's right: Representative Dan Branch (along with other winners like Jim Keffer)!!!

And yes, Ken Paxton voted against it....

Texas Democrats Lie to Silence Black Woman

The Democrat-Media complex is treating Kesha Rogers like a Republican:

Following a frantic push by Texas Democratic Party hacks directly controlled by President Obama's political operation, and the expenditure of more than 3 million dollars by my opponent, the primary vote for me was suppressed on primary day, March 4, 2014.

Despite a last minute push of lying propaganda against me, I won enough votes to force a run-off, placing second, while all relevant polling showed me leading the race the week before.

....

To cite the current lie du jour: "Kesha Rogers supports the impeachment and execution of President Barack Obama." In my 2012 Congressional primary campaign, my campaign staff produced a video satirizing the President's narcissistic personality disorder -- a very dangerous problem for someone with his hand on the nuclear button.

Obama's operatives deliberately distorted one line in that satire to come up with the lie that I support the President's execution. No reasonable person who has listened to this video could come up with this statement of fact about it.

There is a line in the video suggesting that Obama receive a dose of sodium pentothal, or truth serum from his doctor. Obama's hacks claimed that since sodium pentothal is apparently also used in capital executions in Texas that this is what the song meant.

Really? This is what millions of dollars buys? While the suggestion concerning truth serum occurred in a satirical context which those who are literate know is not to be taken a face value --it is a joke, after all-- I have to ask at this point, what if Obama were forced to tell the truth about what he is doing and who his real sponsors are? The result would surely be immediate impeachment by an outraged citizenry.

For the record, the statement that I have called for Obama's execution is an inflammatory lie. I have not and would never call for Obama's execution. Not only do I hold all human life to be sacred --I firmly believe that Obama needs to be impeached through a political process which will re-introduce Americans to the fundamental precepts underlying our Constitution.

In other words, Texas Democrats are giving a black woman the full Sarah Palin treatment.

History Lesson: When Dan Branch raised your college tuition

[Update 3/20/2014:  According to the Texas House Journal, Paxton voted for Tuition dereg. This conflicts with the YCT ratings linked originally. While we don't know which is accurate, we suspect it's the journal.  We're looking into it.  Whether or not Paxton voted for it, Branch was the guy who pushed it behind the scenes.]
From the Dallas Morning News in 2012:

AUSTIN — Texas students are paying 55 percent more for tuition and fees at state universities a decade after lawmakers lifted restrictions on costs, putting some of Texas’ premier universities out of reach for many families, an analysis by The Dallas Morning News shows.

Tuition is up 9.1 percent this school year from 2010-11, the last before the Legislature’s major budget cuts of 2011. The average cost for a typical semester for a state resident is an estimated $7,533 this year.

Dominic Chavez, spokesman for the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, said the problem is ... bloated institutions.

....

Gov. Rick Perry touts a $10,000 bachelor’s degree he’s pushing universities to develop, but some question whether corners would be cut to provide the same quality education as a more expensive degree. And on Friday, he called for a freeze in tuition rates for four years.

....

While the average tuition hovered in the upper $4,000s before deregulation, students have seen a wide range of fluctuations in the nine years since then.

The cost at Beaumont’s Lamar University is up 90 percent from 2003-04, whereas the University of Houston at Clear Lake, based on estimates of this year’s costs, has only raised tuition 35 percent in the same time frame.

The University of Texas at Dallas is the most expensive public university in the state — $11,592 for the current year — surpassing the Austin flagship, but freshmen are locked in at that rate for the four years they remain at UTD.

As TPPF detailed in 2010:

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, tuition increased 47 percent between 2004 and 2008 at public universities statewide. During that same time period, tuition increased a more modest 28.9 percent at private universities in Texas. Based on these numbers, it is seems reasonable that some legislators view the dramatic tuition increases after 2003 as a direct consequence of the policy.

....

One problem is the out-of-control university spending that is enabled by the lack of free higher education market. The same economic principles apply to universities as apply to any other provider of services or goods. In this case, the good is education. Students who want to purchase this good can decide for themselves if the cost is worth the product.

Unfortunately, this economic exchange is skewed in higher education because of excessive government involvement in the market, as well as the prestige placed on degrees from the state’s research universities whether justified or not.

....

Another fundamental problem with tuition deregulation is that universities got to have their cake and eat it too – they can increase tuition however much they see fit while continuing to receive state funding.

So, who should set tuition: the legislature or universities?

The problem is that both tuition-setting methods are inherently flawed. Neither allows the market to determine the appropriate price of tuition.

Infusing competition into a highly regulated higher education market is the best way to address the problem of unbridled university spending and the resulting tuition increases. Placing state funds in the hands of students rather than universities – i.e., distributing state support for higher education through student scholarships rather than campus appropriations – would make it necessary for universities to improve quality and keep costs low in order to stay in business.

 More from YCT:

When the policy was proposed in 2003, my organization, Young Conservatives of Texas, opposed it from the beginning. YCT understood that the proposed policy would not “deregulate” higher education. It wouldn’t expand competition or end government favoritism, to allow the best providers to win in t he battle for their customers, Texas students.

Instead, the policy merely transferred the power to set tuition and fees from the elected Texas legislature, a body that was accountable to t he people, to an unelected body; the appointed boards of regents.

This is the underlying problem with the tuition deregulation.

What many conservatives who supported the tuition “ deregulation” policy forgot was that our public universities are government agencies; no different than our department of transportation or department of public safety. All owing them unlimited control to set the fees they charge Texas families would be no different than allowing the department of transportation to charge anything they would like f or license plates.

Without restraints, government bureaucracies will always find some way to rationalize their need for more tax dollars. As President Ronald Reagan once wittily proclaimed: “Government is like a baby. An alimentary canal wit h a big appetite at one end and no sense of responsibility at the other.”

In the decade spanning from 1998 to 2008, my alumnus, The University of Texas at Austin served as a poster child for that lack of responsibility. The University’s budget more than doubled from 997 Million to 2.076 Billion . While I’m sure that UT President Bill Powers would provide an emphatic defense of every dollar of that spending. However, there are some critics that can question him, and with good cause. According to the Texas Public Policy Foundation, administrative costs have risen to 14% of Higher Education budgets. Productivity decline over the last quarter century has become the norm in higher education. It now takes 21 employee s to educate every 100 students. This is compared to 18 employees for every 100 students in 1970. These facts lead one to believe that our university administrators are not interested in efficiency so much as they’re interested in using other people’s money to fund their pet projects.

....

The universities instead have tapped their new found resource ... Texas families. Students and their families after 2003 became the path of least resistance for university administrators wishing to take-in and spend more mo ney. In the race to expand their budgets, administrators have rapidly increased tuition. Across the state, total academic costs have grown by 53% from $1934 in 2003 to $2,952 in 2007.

-----

Now who, pray tell, pushed (and voted for) tuition 'deregulation'?!?

THAT'S RIGHT: Representative Dan Branch; Ken Paxton, by contrast, voted against it!!!

But who cares about debt crippling a generation of Texans when you can get free football tickets from Bill Powers?!?

Lesbians in Church, Sexual Trauma, and Healing

Surely He has borne our griefs
And carried our sorrows;
Yet we esteemed Him stricken,
Smitten by God, and afflicted.
Isaiah 53:4

This fantastic article from Charisma news re-enforces a thought we had last summer at the Capitol; we'll explain below:

“Let’s just go for fun! We’ll see how much we can push their buttons,” Amy teased her girlfriend, who didn’t like the idea of hanging around a bunch of Christians. “Come on,” Amy insisted. “I hear their motto is ‘Come as you are.’ I just want to prove that they’re ‘come as you are ... unless you’re gay.'”

Amy had been in a nine-year lesbian relationship that had broken up, leaving her wondering why her deepest longings could never be satisfied. She and Rachel had just started hanging out when they decided to attend one Sunday morning.

“I came on a mission to shock people,” Amy admits. “Rachel and I would hold hands in front of people, but instead of the disgusted looks of contempt we expected, people met eyes with us and treated us like real people. So we started coming to church weekly. We kept moving closer to the front each week, trying to get a reaction so that we’d be rejected sooner rather than later. When we couldn’t shock people, we stopped trying and started learning."

“Not long after that, Rachel and I stopped seeing each other, but I kept coming to church because I was searching for something,” Amy admits. “I definitely wasn’t looking to change. It wasn’t my lesbian lifestyle that I was bringing to God, but I wondered if God had answers to my deeper longings. Problem was, I didn’t trust God at all!

“The more I listened and learned about the teachings of Jesus, the more I started to actually believe that God really did love me. I heard more and more about being His masterpiece, and in time, I actually started to believe it. The more I believed God actually could see something of value in me, the more I trusted Him.”

Over time, Amy slowly opened her heart and struggles to Christ.

“It took several years, but as I moved closer and closer to Christ, He gently took me on a very surprising journey," she says. "First, I found out my father had nine affairs while I was growing up—a secret that rocked my world. Jesus began to show me how the roots of my sexual issues tie together with my dad’s—I was just like him, using people to find comfort, life and love outside of God.”

Amy continued to grow in her knowledge of the Scriptures, falling more and more in love with the Lord. The following year, God had another surprise for her: “I went to the seminar called ‘To Be Told,’ hosted at Gateway. I wanted to see how God could put closure to my brokenness, but what He showed me shocked me.”

“As Dan Allender was telling a story of a bully," Amy recalls, "I suddenly had a flashback of getting off the school bus. I lived down the street from Jimmy, a boy who had bullied me all year. But this particular day, Jimmy acted nice to me as I got off the bus.

“He apologized for being so mean, and he invited me to come to his house.”

That day in the seminar, all else faded to black as this vivid nightmare crept back to life. Amy saw herself walking through Jimmy’s front door, noticing all the shades pulled down. Startled, she spied two teenage boys eyeing her with a ravenous look as the door slammed shut. Her screams never escaped the evil darkness that enveloped that house. They pinned her down and raped her.

She was only 9!

Amy swam in a pool of tears as the seminar continued. Others were oblivious to her divine epiphany. She realized the Lord had been drawing her near to strengthen her for this revelation—to show her the source of so much sexual struggle hidden for years beneath layers of protective mud.

....

Luke tells of a time Simon the Pharisee invited Jesus to dinner. Jesus and His disciples went and “reclined at the table” (Luke 7:36) along with Simon’s religious friends, who were skeptical about Jesus’ true identity—mainly because He showed more love for “sinners” than love for the Law of Moses. (Jesus had just made it clear this wasn’t true; He came to fulfill the intent of the Law of Moses.) They invited Jesus there to judge Him, not learn from Him.

Middle Eastern dining style consisted of a 1-foot-high table with pillows on the floor for seating, with people sitting usually with feet stretched out to the side or behind them. As the meal proceeded, an immoral woman crashed the party. She sheepishly made her way over to stand behind Jesus. Luke makes sure we know she had “lived a sinful life” (v. 37). She did not just have a few slip-ups, but rather had made a life out of her sexual deviancies, and everyone knew it! Her mud was public knowledge. Her whole life, she had felt judged and condemned by the religious establishment, so to go into the house of her tormentors took enormous courage.

Yet there she stood ... because Jesus was there! Somehow word on the street had traveled to her through the crowd she hung out with—there’s hope in Jesus for the muddiest human. Hearing He had come near, an unstoppable force welling up from within had drawn her to His feet. As she stood in His presence, hope burst through the dam of all that pain that had driven her mudslinging behavior—she started to cry. Her tears accidentally landed on Jesus’ dirty feet (that His host had not shown the common courtesy to wash).

The tension in the room mounted; everyone’s shoulders tightened as she fell to her knees behind Jesus, bent down and wiped His wet, dirty feet with her hair. She took out a bottle of oil mixed with perfume, took the oil in her hands and gently stroked His feet with the oil—kissing them as she anointed Him with the perfume.

Jesus just sat there, never flinching, eyes fixed on the Pharisees, watching them react in shock and disbelief—flames of contempt shooting out of their merciless eyes.

Simon could stand it no more. This outrageous scene had proven his point. He muttered to himself and his “more respectable” guests, “If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is—that she is a sinner” (v. 39).

....

Jesus looks at the heart. It’s about the heart. Jesus confronted the unloving hearts of His host and friends while this woman demonstrated a heart overflowing with love. Jesus said, “Simon, I have something to tell you” (v. 40).

“Two people owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii [a whole lot of money], and the other fifty [one tenth as much]. Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he forgave the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?”

Simon replied, “I suppose the one who had the bigger debt forgiven.”

“You have judged correctly,” Jesus said. (The only thing Simon had judged correctly that day!)

Then He turned toward the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—as her great love has shown. But whoever has been forgiven little loves little” (Luke 7:41–47)

There is an obvious contrast between Jesus and the Pharisees for Christians to remember, but we want to focus on the woman.

Last summer, amidst the abortion related chaos at the Capitol, we heard more stories of about horrific sexual trauma than we can count.  We heard these stories from both pro-Abortion and pro-Life women.  What struck us, however, was the difference between how the women on each side reacted after the fact.

Consider both women detailed above: Once they had come to Christ, he healed and protected each.  But each made the first move (which, not coincidentally, is why its called a 'come to Jesus moment').  If either had run in the other direction, disaster would have eventually ensued.

Personally, we know women who have reacted each way; in our (admittedly anecdotal) those who turn their sexual trauma over to Jesus end up in a much better place over the long-run.

Sexual trauma is a touchy subject.  Fortunately, Jesus bore all trauma for everyone on the Cross.  That includes your trauma, sexual or otherwise.  The healing He provides is the only way that, over the long run, you will genuinely heal.  If you do so, He will protect you from the religious establishment.

Rick Perry does Jimmy Kimmel....

"When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice;"
Proverbs 29:2 (a)

Governor Perry did an interview the other night that can only be described as ten pounds of concentrated awesome:



Highlights:

• Speaking about a rational approach to low-level drug offenses: "We were able to shut down a prison in the state of Texas, now that's conservative!!!"

• First saw Willie Nelson in 1968 at Panther Hall in Ft. Worth, TX

Highlight:

Jimmy Kimmel: You jog with a gun?!?
Perry: I do interviews with a gun."

The Bible: Gospel, Guide, or Garbage?!?

All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness,
2 Timothy 3:16

Earlier today, we came across the flyer for this event next Tuseday at UT.  It looks awesome.  We intend to attend and report back:

$100 for Ken Paxton: Our Largest Political Donation Ever

There is one who scatters, yet increases more;
And there is one who withholds more than is right,
But it leads to poverty.
The generous soul will be made rich,
And he who waters will also be watered himself.
The people will curse him who withholds grain,
But blessing will be on the head of him who sells it.

Proverbs 11:24-26

But other seed fell on good ground and yielded a crop that sprang up, increased and produced: some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred.

Mark 4:8

"And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.

United States' Declaration of Independence [Emphasis Added]

Cahnman's Musings needs to disclose a fact to readers: Shortly after 5PM, we donated $100 to Ken Paxton's campaign.  Given that we've supported Ken for months this shouldn't surprise anyone.  We are, however, quite literally putting our money where our mouth has been.

We've never donated this much to a candidate.  This donation is a leap of faith.  We trust God to deliver.

Ken's race is the most important Republican nominating contest that remains.  Whether we like it or not, money helps build name recognition.  Cahnman's Musings encourages readers to follow us and donate to Ken Paxton!!!

Democrats make excuses for Barbie; insult Hispanics

“Thus says the Lord: ‘Behold, I will bring calamity on this place and on its inhabitants, all the curses that are written in the book which they have read before the king of Judah,"
2 Chronicles 34:24

Will Franklin's indispensable guide to Wendy's Primary Disaster:

In the heavily Democrat Rio Grande Valley, an essential region of the state if Democrats want to turn Texas blue, Davis got fewer votes than any Democrat on the primary ballot in more than two decades. This is astonishing, given that Valley population has grown by more than a third during that time.

Moreover, Wendy Davis is the only Democrat nominee in the last 20 years to lose any Valley counties, suffering defeat in Hidalgo, Starr, and Willacy (plus about two dozen others along the border and around the state), and winning a marginal victory in Cameron County (Brownsville) by a mere 688 votes. Her Rio Grande Valley performance (for the sake of time alone, I didn't include every single border or South Texas county here) was historically awful, despite rapid growth in the region over this timeframe.

....

There is obviously not any sort of perfect r-squared correlation between partisan primary turnout and general election results, but a primary election is undeniably is a key indicator of voter interest and excitement-- and there is a clear and present enthusiasm gap between Republicans and Democrats in Texas today.

In the 10 bluest, most reliably Democrat-machine counties in Texas (the ten counties, other than the "big five," with more than 10K registered voters where Barack Obama beat Mitt Romney by the widest margins in 2012: Cameron, El Paso, Hidalgo, Jefferson, Jim Wells, Maverick, Starr, Val Verde, Webb, and Willacy), Davis got fewer votes than any Democrat in the last twenty years, while primary turnout was the lowest (in both raw votes and percentage voting) since 1998. Davis actually lost five of these reliably Democratic counties, and in only one (Jefferson) did she match her statewide performance.

....

What is eye-opening is that Greg Abbott got more votes in Wendy Davis' home county, Tarrant County. And in Dallas County. And in Harris County (Houston). And in Bexar County (San Antonio). In nearly all counties with more than 100,000 registered voters, Abbott dominated

....

After voting to limit elective late-term abortion and require abortion facilities to meet basic standards of safety and cleanliness, State Rep. Sergio Muñoz, Jr. (D-Palmview) was challenged by Maria Regalado from the left on the issue of his HB 2 vote. The pro-life Muñoz demolished her, pulling in 76% of the vote. Support for late-term abortion doesn't play in Texas, especially South Texas.

....

Wendy Davis' poor primary performance was simply the result of a lack of compatible values or message. She just is a mismatched candidate for South Texas, and her well-known extremism on behalf of late-term abortion was a disqualifying flaw for many voters in South Texas and beyond.

Amen, read the whole thing (complete with charts) here.

Religious Leaders in Jesus' day versus today

They answered and said to him, “Are you also from Galilee? Search and look, for no prophet has arisen out of Galilee.”
John 7:52

"no Prophet has arisen out of Galilee: Actually, the prophets Jonah, Hosea, Nahum, and perhaps Elijah, Elisha, and Amos were from Galillee or close to it." Nelson Study Bible; note on the same verse.

We were struck watching Son of God at the scriptural ignorance of the Pharisees.  It's one thing to get so proud that your heart isn't right with the Lord.  It's another thing for alleged religious teachers to miss things that are clearly described in the Old Testament.

Throughout the Gospels, Jesus chides the Pharisees: "Have you not heard?!?", "Is it not written?!?", "Have you not read?!?"  In each instance, obvious Old Testament prophecies were occurring in front of them.  They were clueless.

Today's pastors, by contrast, sometimes seem like they can't talk about anything else.  When analyzing events in the middle east, Benjamin Netanyahu can't sneeze without 10,000 pastors screaming "End Times!!!"  The difference is fascinating.

Make no mistake, we believe Old Testament Prophecy is essential to understand today's Middle East.  Our personal salvation came from an End Times sermon.  Still, reading prophecy into everything gets taken to unhealthy extremes.

The difference in understanding Old Testament prophecy is a strange distinction between today's pastors and the Pharisees of Jesus' time; we're not sure what to make of it.

About "Christians who don't tip"

There is one who scatters, yet increases more;
And there is one who withholds more than is right,
But it leads to poverty.

The generous soul will be made rich,
And he who waters will also be watered himself.

The people will curse him who withholds grain,
But blessing will be on the head of him who sells it.

Proverbs 11:24-26

The Blaze reports on one pastor's effort in Tennessee:

A pastor has opened up an online forum for waiters and waitresses in Tennessee to anonymously vent about the low tips and poor treatment they received from Christian customers.

“Sundays Are the Worst,” a website created by Chad Roberts, lead pastor at Preaching Christ Church in Kingsport, Tenn., offers “a place of pure honesty and testimony” for restaurant staff to share the frustration they’ve experienced as a result of interacting with people after church.

The idea for the site came last year after Roberts heard about the St. Louis pastor who famously wrote, “I give God 10 percent — why do you get 18?” on an Applebee’s receipt. After that incident went viral, Roberts and his staff members decided to take action.

Which got us thinking:

• There are at least 90 million evangelical Christians in the United States.

• Assume, for the sake of discussion, that half attend a Church service on any given Sunday.

• Assume, further, that half of them eat lunch out after Church.

• That means, on any given Sunday, 22.5 million evangelical Christians eat lunch in a restaurant.
• (90/2)/2 = 22.5

• Which means, over the course of a year, evangelical Christians eat 1.17 BILLION after Church meals in resturants.
• 22.5*52=1,170

In other words, ten Christians tip poorly and it makes national news; 1,169,999,990 Christians tip properly and no one says a word.

Movie Review: Son of God

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life."
John 3:16

"[F]or all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God....For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord....that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved."
Romans 3:23...6:23...10:9

"And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away...But there shall by no means enter it anything that defiles, or causes[a] an abomination or a lie, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.
Revelation 21:4...27

This afternoon we saw Son of God, the big screen adaptation of 2013's runaway hit The Bible.  We loved the 2013 series and thoroughly enjoyed the movie.  While the Pharisees among us will quibble, Son of God is an indispensable guide for those whose understanding of the Gospel and history of Jesus Christ is either incomplete or non-existent.

Son of God, as the title suggests, does a fantastic job illustrating the deity of Christ.  The first hour of the film presents Jesus' miracles.  The healing of the paralyzed man, feeding the 5000, and walking on the Sea of Gaililee particularly shined.

The remainder details Jesus' final week, the Crucifixion, and the Resurrection.  Unfortunately, Pontius Pilate gets waaay more face-time than he deserves.  The Crucifixion is poignant without descending into Mel Gibson style torture porn.  The Resurrection gets as much glory as fallen, imperfect humans can give it.  Cahnman's Musings, quite literally, shouted "Hallelujah" in the middle of the movie theater!

One area where the film excels is its presentation of the Pharisees.  It's hard to describe in words, but the film captures how the weak faith of the Pharisees led to their compromise with the civil authorities.  Caiphas feared Rome more than he trusted God or understood scripture.  

The Virgin Birth and John the Baptist's ministry were two areas where we would have focused much more attention. To us, those aspects have always been key to proving the veracity of the entire gospel.  Unfortunately, the producers chose to focus elsewhere.  It's a shame.  The Christmas story is far more important to understanding Jesus Christ than a bunch of borderline homoerotic shots of Pontius Pilate flexing his manly muscles.

As a gospel presentation vehicle, Son of God does the job.  It illustrates the universality of sin, the universality of Jesus' substitutionary sacrifice, and the fact all you need to do to get into heaven is accept the gift.  The scripture from Romans quoted above should answer most questions.

Son of God is a welcome development in our increasingly out of control culture.  It will be incredibly helpful to those who don't know Jesus, genuinely desire to do so, but don't know where to begin.  If that's you, Cahnman's Musings highly encourages you to attend the next available showing....