Am I a Pharisee?

Those of us who hold to high personal standards are often accused of being Pharisees. Though this accusation is frequently leveled by those who claim to be more loving, it is more akin to a slap in the face than a bear hug or a "holy kiss". Aside from not liking the slur, I find that it is necessary to examine the matter, since nearly every form of criticism has an element of truth in it. The difficulty is getting beyond the insult to see the truth.

Fundamentalism does have a problem with expressing itself in love. As a result, we often come across as being unloving, spiteful, and vindictive. However, the fault is not exclusive to our rank and file. Just enter into a discussion with a New Evangelical, Liberal, or Contemporary Christian Music devotee to see who can be vitriolic. I maintain that anyone who cannot take a stand in love needs to seriously re-evaluate his character to see if it it Christ-like and his position on the issues to determine why love is absent. It is inevitable, however, that our love will be tested.
May the test always reveal that we love God above anything or anyone else. We all must love God first and best, and our neighbor as we love ourselves.

The label "Pharisee" is almost never hurled about in love. In fact, I believe the label to be misapplied at least in my case and in that of quite a few others who share my beliefs and principles. To spot the problem, please, direct your attention to Matthew 23 where Christ pronounces judgment on these and other misguided individuals of His day. There are at least 12 points of description found here and others which could be added from other passages.

The Pharisees were religionists who did not practice what they preached. Their outward piety was a deliberate mask for their own spiritual corruption. Christ declared that they were working at cross-purposes to God's plan of redemption and doing so deliberately. They were perfectly willing to nullify the Law of God in order to maintain their own system of belief. The argument reaches its apex in Matthew 23:33 when Christ declares the Pharisees to be destined to an eternity in Hell! Truly, Pharisees then and now are not children of light with a higher view of holiness than their peers! They are, in fact, lost in their sins, blinded by the darkness of their minds, and entrenched in a religious system which condemns souls to Hell!

Taking these principles into today's context, we arrive at a completely different picture of the Pharisee. I can think of groups which fit the bill, but they are not Fundamentalists. Instead, they would be liberals, Roman Catholics, Mormons, Jehovah's Witnesses, and many others who deliberately pervert the Gospel of Christ for personal and political advantage. These are more vitally concerned with their own agenda than the Gospel of Christ.

Much hay is made accusing Fundamentalists for adding to the Law by way of principles or application. Yet even Christ Himself added to the Law in Matthew 5:27-28. He did so as a means of showing that the Law was intended to have broader application than a merely superficial reading would give it. The first commandment declares that we should not have any other gods in God's presence. He alone must be worshiped, as He has revealed Himself. He who is intrinsically holy must be worshiped in holiness and truth. Modern usage of the rock beat adds an element of worldliness to both the private life and public worship of the believer. For this reason I hold that the use of such tainted music undermines the purity of our God and calls into question whether the individual loves God or the world. He cannot love both at the same time (1 John 2:15-17). On this issue I would highly recommend Why I Left Contemporary Christian Music by Dan Lucarini (available on Amazon.com for around $10).

There may be Pharisees within the camp of Fundamentalism, but the movement is based upon the holiness of God and His demands that we all be pure and separate from the corruption of this present evil world. Each of us must personally guard against a spirit of contention, but contend for the faith we MUST.

Steven's Senior Year

On Wednesday (Aug. 29), our oldest son, Steven, began his senior year at Bob Jones University. How did this happen? I'm sure I am too young to have a kid this old, but the evidence says otherwise. The Lord has been faithful over the years so that his schooling could go on without interruption. This year will be another adventure of faith.

In July Steven's summer employment came to an unexpected end. In spite of many hours of searching, he could not find a replacement job. One of the hindering factors is that his only transportation is a bicycle. His seizure last Spring made him ineligible for driving until late October. As a result, his summer savings never materialized. My advice to him has been to draw nearer to God and rest in Him. He knows how the needs of the year will be met.

Steven is leaning toward a career in business where he could use his interests in language and perhaps building design. The latter is a newer field of interest that he has begun to explore at our encouragement. Teresa especially noticed his ability in this area as we drove through Charleston, SC this summer. Our continuing prayer for him is that the Lord would direct him and that he would love Him with all his heart, regardless of the career or ministry in which he may be involved.

In the Promised Land

Well, we have finally arrived. All of our travels have taken us back to home??? Pennsylvania has a certain nostalgia for Teresa and I since we spent so much of our lives here, began our deputation in this fair state, and still have relatives under nearly every rock and rill. So far we have reconnected with a fair number of these family members and are looking forward to seeing still more in a Labor Day weekend Weaver family reunion (Teresa's kin). We have also been able to visit my grandma P who suffered a stroke about a month ago. She recognized us all and enjoyed our family visit in the care center that is her new home. If not for this furlough, it might have been difficult for us to visit her.

Our rear window has been decorated with some special stickers to remind us of the places we have visited. Puerto Rico has a prominent display; the Wilds Christian Camp also has its niche. But our proudest sticker of all is a blue oval with red lettering that says, "Seltzer's". If you don't know the name, you're not from around here. Seltzer's is the first and last name of Lebanon Bologna (pronounced "baloney").

Lebanon Baloney is not that pale and sickly lunch meat that kids have complained about since packing a lunch became optional. I always placed my chips inside the sandwich to make it edible. L.B. is a smoked meat which can be, and often is, eaten right out of the pack. It has the aroma of hickory smoke and a flavor that prevents most people from counting calories (or sodium).

We now return to the part about a sticker already in progress. This sticker is not sold in stores, unless you are very creative. Teresa peeled the label from a 3 pound bag of baloney ends and placed it proudly beside our travel log on the rear window of our mini-van. It is the original and only addictive decal which features a scratch and sniff quality no other bumper sticker can rival.

Hershey Chocolate may yet have its rightful place of honor on that window. We are currently staying within scent range of the Hershey and Reese's plants! This is the only place in the world where you can gain 5 pounds by merely walking outside and taking a deep breath. We toured Chocolate World the other day. This is one of the few remaining freebees in Hershey. Hershey Park is now nearly $50 per person per day. That is one stop we will NOT be making. Just think of all the money we are saving! It almost makes me want to go on a spending binge to celebrate the savings! I guess I'll just send the money to Steven's college fund instead.

September begins the really busy portion of our furlough. From here until December 16 there are few breaks, and all but two weeks of that time will be spent in PA. Keep us in your prayers. Health, safety, provision of support, and the blessing of God on the work in Ponce are at the top of our prayer list.

I Feel Drained . . . or is that the Battery

On Saturday, August 18, we headed for Raleigh, NC to visit a supporting church. One Sunday morning we left the house for church, but when we tried to start the car, all we heard were the annoying clicks of the starter trying to do its job without the benefit of an electrical impulse. Our host gave us a jump start and we headed off to church.
Along the way we got confused and had to figure a way out of the labyrinth parking lot of a catholic church! We had a good laugh and finally made it to our destination.
After the morning service, we were to follow someone to dinner, but once again the car would not start. Another jump start and we were on our way. Following dinner, we needed yet another boost. Fortunately, there was a garage nearby which had the battery we needed. Normally, we would not have transacted this business on Sunday, but our donkey was definitely in the ditch. Our supporting church then paid for the battery! What an extra blessing! The Lord was certainly good in allowing us not to have a problem where help would have been more difficult to obtain.
On Monday morning we headed out to PA and arrived just in time for Mom's home cooking. Now that is timing! After a very hot July in NC, we are now enjoying a cool, rainy time here. The creeks are running full, so we hope to dry out soon. We have seen several deer and a dozen turkeys in the fields behind the Pfaunmiller home. That's a good sign as hunting season draws near.

The Creation Museum

Have you heard that the Answers in Genesis team has opened a creation-based museum in Petersburg, KY. It's true! When a family member offered to pay our admission cost, we loaded up and headed out to see what the buzz was about.
Our first impression was that the first-class exterior must indicate an awesome collection within. We were right! This is truly an amazing accomplishment! We now have a high-class and high-tech museum which declares the glory of our Creator God and debunks the evolution myth. Not once did we have to tell our children that the information before them was biased by an anti-God philosophy. Ken Ham and staff have done an excellent job of explaining the necessity of this museum and presenting the Biblical view point so often missing in our society.
The museum boasts an impressive collection of dinos, four or five mutimedia presentations, a wonderful planetarium show (be careful not to fall asleep in the oh so comfortable reclining seats), animatronic beasties, and a tremendous bookstore chocked full of affordable resources for home and evangelistic uses. Outside, you will find a beautiful garden with dinosaur models, archways and a pagoda or two. We spent 7 hours exploring the facility and plan to return later this year.
We heartily recommend this site to one and all. You can get all the details at answersingenesis.com.

Where did July go?

After our trip to PA we returned to SC for a few final meetings and then moved on to Jacksonville, NC. Our host church was Fellowship Baptist Church. From this point we held meetings in the surrounding area for three weeks. The Lord blessed us with some fine contacts which we pray may lead to future support.
We also had the chance to do a couple day trips and found some interesting sites. The Fossil Museum in Aurora, NC is not well-advertised, nor very extensive. It is also loaded with evolutionary bias. However, just outside the modest building is a pile of sand and gravel from a local phosphate mine. In just a few hours digging, we found several hundred sharks' teeth! No kidding!
Most of the teeth were rather small but a few were better than an inch and one-half long. We found it truly amazing that these teeth have survived more than 20 million years! How much easier it is to believe in the Flood and the Biblical account of Creation!
We also traveled to the Outer Banks. The lighthouses and scenery were a treat. Our digital camera worked overtime to capture some of the sights. We also traveled on a few of the ferries. It's cool to load the car onboard and hit the open water. You don't go very fast, but the trip is interesting.
Our GPS system didn't quite know what to make of our trips over water. We are using Microsoft Streets & Trips with a Hollux GPS module. On several ocassions we have found that it does not register a road we are travelling on. It is amusing to watch our progress over uncharted territory at 65 mph. I didn't think I needed this technology as we began our journeys, but I am a believer now. It's great to hear a little voice say, "In 0.3 miles turn left." It takes a lot of uncertainty out of most trips, at least when you listen to the instructions. In addition, I don't have to hear "Why don't you just stop and ask for directions?" Now if I can only find a way to avoid, "Are we there yet?"