Celebrate Freedom!

This July 4th, I celebrate freedom.

I hear some clamoring for more freedom -- freedom to exercise their "rights"; freedom to have their "rights" met; and freedom to do whatever they want without fear of guilt, disdain, or punishment. But this is not freedom. This purported "freedom" is in fact, a cry for anarchy! If everyone could do whatever they wanted chaos would reign, then yield its throne to tyranny. This is not freedom. I celebrate something quite different this July 4th.

I celebrate freedom from things which I have never experienced. Things which I had heard about, but had never understood.

I celebrate freedom of religion. I am thankful that I can worship God in my own way. I have been freed from a state - yes, even international - church, whose priest is greater than any king. I am free from religious persecution if I happen to choose a different doctrine than the one imposed by this tyrannic church. I do not have to face torture and death from the church if I belong to a different denomination.

I celebrate freedom of press. I am thankful that I am allowed to print and read all the truth. I have been freed from a regulated and dictated media. I am free to read for myself in my own language. I do not have to go to someone who can read, who must tell me how and what to think. The Bible is in my language. I can read it, and it is not a capital crime.

I celebrate freedom of speech. I am thankful that I am allowed to speak my mind. I have been freed from a systematic destruction of opposition. I am free to speak out and oppose that which I do not agree with. I do not have to fear losing my property, my position, or my life because I spoke against a ruler.

My freedom is so complete, that I cannot even understand nor comprehend what my ancestors had to endure. Oppression of that degree is so far gone it is but a story. I have been freed from the tryanny and oppresion; from even the memory and lingering fear.
Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, to those who freed me from tyranny.

This July 4th, perhaps for the first time, I am beginning to understand what liberty means. I am beginning to love and appreciate those who died, so that I might be freed from tyranny. I celebrate their victory. I celebrate America.
I celebrate freedom.


If you want something to be thankful for this July 4th, read Foxe's Book of Martyrs.
http://www.gutenberg.org/files/22400/22400-h/22400-h.htm#Page_57

"... they slew of all ranks and conditions to the number of 10,000. The bodies were thrown into the rivers, and blood ran through the streets with a strong current, and the river appeared presently like a stream of blood. So furious was their hellish rage, that they slew all papists whom they suspected to be not very staunch to their diabolical religion. From Paris the destruction spread to all quarters of the realm. . . .
"At Augustobona, on the people hearing of the massacre at Paris, they shut their gates that no protestants might escape, and searching diligently for every individual of the reformed church, imprisoned and then barbarously murdered them."

"When the reformed religion began to diffuse the gospel light throughout church, he accordingly instituted a number of inquisitors, or persons who were to make inquiry after, apprehend, and punish, heretics, as the reformed were called by the papists."
"The principal accusation against those who are subject to this tribunal is heresy, which comprises all that is spoken, or written, against any of the articles of the creed, or the traditions of the Roman church . . . and of such who read the bible in the common language . . . ."
"Upon all occasions the inquisitors carry on their processes with the utmost severity, and punish those who offend them with the most unparalleled cruelty. A protestant has seldom any mercy shown him, and a Jew, who turns christian, is far from being secure. . . .
"A defence in the inquisition is of little use to the prisoner, for a suspicion only is deemed sufficient cause of condemnation . . . ."
"A prisoner in the inquisition is never allowed to see the face of his accuser , or of the witnesses against him ..."

"A. D. 1546, Peter Chapot brought a number of bibles in the French tongue to France, and publicly sold them there; for which he was brought to trial, sentenced, and executed a few days afterward."

Facebook introduces new like-liking feature!

A couple days ago, the ever-developing facebook introduced a likable new feature --
the ability to "like" comments.

Facebook users have been able to like statuses and other posts for some time, but have not been able to like comments on any of these posts. Now, you can like the comments too!

But wait until you see what Facebook has in the works! Under development right now is an even better "like" feature. Starting next month, facebook users will be able to "like" others' "likes" on a status or comment! What could be better!?

Preview of new like-liking feature!

Like likes? Now you can!

My First Friend Request

In recognition of reaching 1000 friends on facebook, I shall tell the story of my very first friend request:

Long before facebook, or the time of myspace - even before the era of public internet - I received my first friend request.
I was just a very young boy, perhaps 4 or 5 years old.

As I remember, my family and I were traveling, sightseeing, and camping perhaps. At one place we stopped, we had about an hour for us kids to run around, play, and get all those "wiggles" out of our system. We had only been there a short time when another boy about my age ran up to me and asked, "Do you want to be friends?" I was surprised, but simply replied, "sure." Now, I had never seen this boy before, and as we would only be there a short time, I would never see him again.
But we spent that short time together, playing at the playground, exploring, and just having fun. I have a faint memory of going down to see an old bridge. Just he and I -- Me and a friend I didn't know. I think I remember this bridge because we were still there when I heard my parents call, "time to go!" Dejected, I said goodbye to my new friend, and life moved on.

Now, some twenty years later, I am no longer surprised at such random friend requests. With the introduction of Facebook, they are in fact quite common (though i don't say "sure" to so many of these!). Yet every day, through life and through work, I am connecting with people whom I have never before met. Oh, we don't share such formalities as "will you be my friend?"; but with a smile and a tone that cares, we know. It all starts with friendliness.

Today, a connected web interface reports that I have 1000 friends. A few of these are like my young friend - randomly "running up", previously unknown, and requesting to be friends. Some are friends I have never met, yet life - through the internet - has brought us together. Some are mere acquaintances, and like my young friend, we have shared very few experiences. Others are dear friends who are close to my heart. We have shared life, yes, but more than that. We share beliefs and values. We share visions, hopes, and dreams. We share purpose and passion. We want to see the same goals achieved. They are all my friends.

What is the value? Why invest in a friend whom I knew I would only ever see for 45 minutes of my lifetime? Why Facebook, and why so many friends? We share this life with people -- people who are around us every day. And many times we have the option to interact or to remain strangers. I could have spent a full hour at that playground, and never known that boy existed. But he reached out, and connected. We really didn't invest in that friendship. Sometimes you don't need to. We simply shared life for the brief time we were given. Over the years, I have begun to learn how to reach out and connect with others who are around me in life. Transforming from stranger to "friend" with a simple smile and greeting. Why? Because simply breaking that stranger barrier says that we're ok. It affirms that we are human.
Each of us are made in God's image, and are valuable in His sight. I care about every person, because God cares about them. We're in this together. We are brothers. We are friends.

Thanks Facebook. Amidst all the failures, accusations, and problems, you yet have virtue. You remind us that we are human, and that we are not alone. Thank you, facebook, for helping make a connected world a friendlier place.

Vacation Update

Hey everybody! In case you weren't aware, I've been on vacation the last week and a half (and also away from facebook). Just wanted to give a short update on vacation.

Went to both Illinois and Iowa; saw both sides of the family. I enjoyed seeing everybody again. And, as always, understanding more of my roots, and realizing why I never had a chance at being normal, lol.

The Mundane:
Kept up with my Masters schoolwork during vacation. Class requirements don't quit! You know it's harder to concentrate on school when the rest of the day is vacation? I'm glad to be done with the one module though - I was developing linear programming tables in my sleep!

The Funny:
So, we stopped at a restaurant on the way back. Shortly after placing our order, the waitress came to the table with a tray full of glasses of water and asked "who all ordered the milkshakes?" When I said I did, she promptly handed me a glass of water and went on her way! LOL

The Games:
We played a bunch of computer games, which was a lot of fun. We don't often have time to do that anymore. It has been said that the Lorimers create a network wherever they go, but this trip took that to a new level. So, we, er, had a wireless access point running off a power inverter and created a mobile wireless network that both cars could connect to. Yup, we played games over a wireless connection while traveling down the road! (Hey, you've got to kill 12 hours somehow.)

The Spiritual:
Enjoyed being back at Knoxville Nazarene Church again. Lots friends and family. Especially enjoyed the Iowa Holiness Camp service Sunday night. Powerful and dynamic message and stories. Heard the truth of God's word. Lots of friends there too, and I enjoyed seeing/visiting with you all!

The Family:
I really appreciate my family. I realize more and more the spiritual heritage, culture, and values that have been instilled in me through the investment of family. It means a lot, and I am very appreciative. Thank you all.

The Work:
Just kidding! I've been accused of "just working harder on something else" when I take a vacation (ok, ok, it's true). But I actually did take a break and get a vacation this trip! Helped out a bit around the farm, of course. (Helped take down a patch of marijuana - that was new) :-) Overall, it was a good break.

Dead bodies paint dark and morbid picture of US Society

*Warning - Graphic Content. Carcasses of "animals" and humans*

Here's what President Obama didn't see when he visited the Abortion Clinics around the country: a dead baby rotting in the shore weeds.

"When we found this baby it showed all the signs of abortion. Blood was just pouring out of it. It was the saddest thing to look at," said the clinics contract worker who took the Daily News on a surreptitious tour of the abortion disaster unfolding in New York.
His motive: simple outrage.

"There is a lot of coverup for the clinics. They specifically informed us that they don't want these pictures of the dead babies. They know the ocean will wipe away most of the evidence. It's important to me that people know the truth about what's going on here," the contractor said.

"The things I've seen: They just aren't right. All the life out here is just full of abortion. I'm going to show you what the clinics never showed the President."

The day was 85 degrees, the blue sky almost white with sunshine, the air fresh with salt tang.
After checking that he was unobserved, he motored out to Queen Bess barrier island, known to the locals as Bird Island.

The grasses by the shore were littered with aborted human life, some dead and others struggling under a thick coating of blood.

"When you see some of the things I've seen, it would make you sick," the contractor said. "No living creature should endure that kind of suffering."

Queen Bess Island was the first place where babies were born when the beloved humans came in the 1970s. Their population rebounded and was finally declared stabilized in 2002.

Now their future is once again in doubt. In what had been such an important nursery, hundreds of babies - their white heads stained with blood – lay still.

"Those babies are supposed to have white heads. The blood is from the abortion. Most of them won't survive," the contractor said.

"They keep trying to survive. They try and they try, but they can't do it."

The contractor has been attempting to save babies.

"I saw a baby under water with only its arm sticking out," he said. "I grabbed it and lifted it out of the water. It was just covered in blood. It was struggling so hard to survive. We did what we could for it.

"Nature is cruel, but what's happening here is crueler."

The uninhabited barrier islands are surrounded by semi-restrictive laws, also stained red, that are supposed to keep the abortion out. It's not working.

"That grass was green a few weeks ago," the contractor said. "Now look. ... This whole island is destroyed. How do you write a check for something like this?"

He said he recently found five babies dying from abortion.

"Three babies were dead. Two were dying and not dead yet. They will be," he said.

As the boat headed back amid the choppy waves, a group of humans showed up to escort it to land.
"They know they are in trouble. We are all in trouble," the contractor said.

The clinics's central role in the disaster cleanup has apparently given the companies a lot of latitude in keeping the press away from clinics where the abortion is thickest.

On Monday, a Daily News team was escorted away from a public beach on Elmer's Island by cops who said they were taking orders from the clinics.

The clinics spokesmanToby Odonedenied the company is trying to hide the sociological damage; he noted the clinics has organized press visits to the spill zone and said the clinics cannot tell cops what to do.

The contractor for the clinics said the public needs to see the truth.

"The clinics are going to say the deaths of these babies wasn't abortion-related," he said. "We know the truth. I hope these pictures get to the right people - to someone who can do something."

-----------------------------------------------------
Now before you go firing any comments, I must quote my sources.
Read: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/2010/06/02/2010-06-02_the_hidden_death_in_the_gulf.html#ixzz0pr2T6fzF

I simply used the "Find and Replace" tool, and fixed the context.
I agree that the BP oil spill is a disaster, and should be corrected.
My question is this,

Why is there so much outrage over an oil spill that is harming animals,
yet no similar outrage over an industry that is killing 3,700 humans PER DAY!?

My Life These Last 2 Weeks - A Real "Blog"

Hey guys! Wonder what's been happening in life lately?

I haven't been on facebook a lot the last couple weeks. Things had been very focused. So here's an update of what all I've been doing!

Most of this revolves around KMBC iLive 2010. As many of you know, KMBC had been preparing for our largest event ever - iLive - for some time. As we neared the time of the event, most of my resources were invested in preparations. But before I go into that ...

There have been a lot of students visiting campus this Spring! Of the 10 days before iLive, I had students visiting campus for 8 of those days. Naturally, between the two, that kept me pretty busy. I enjoyed all of the visits. I got to visit with some really awesome people! On one visit, we got to talking about theology, and had a really wonderful conversation. The Lord was leading the time for sure, and the conversation turned to matters of salvation. Before we were through, the visitor prayed to accept Christ as his Savior! Praise the Lord for His faithfulness!

iLive went awesome! We had ~116 prospective students here for the event, plus adults and sponsors. Everything was awesome. The whole event was on the website, with constant feed updates, live cameras, pictures, and videos. The main game attraction, Life-sized Candyland, was beyond belief. We litterally filled the gymnasium with a candyland gameboard, covered and made out of real candy. The artwork was fantastic, thanks to Brenna Rigsby, a KMBC freshman. Pictures don't do justice, though you'll proabably want to look at them!

http://www.facebook.com/KentuckyMountainBibleCollege?v=photos

We also did a picture scavenger hunt throughout Jackson and the surrounding area, and a treasure hunt in our reclaimed strip mines wilderness area. Those pictures are online also!

http://www.facebook.com/KentuckyMountainBibleCollege?v=photos

Supper was outside, since we really had too many people to fit in the Dining Hall. That evening, the KMBC music groups - the choir, Harmony, and New Hope - led a powerful worship concert. God was working, and a couple youth gave their lives to Christ that night! We watched Gifted Hands outside on the ballfield Friday night. Inspiring and gripping story. We ended up having some rain to deal with, so we moved back to the gym to finish the movie.

-- To all you guys who helped out with all the aspects of the movie - Thank you SO much! We couldn't have done it without you. From emergency screen repairs to stacking hay bales, you all were a great team and very appreciated! --

The chapel service on Saturday was a challenging presentation of living for the Lord. Dr. Speas spoke about Shadrack, Meshack, and Abednego. Several responded. At least one was saved at this service, and many others made some life-altering decisions.

Following iLive, I got to hang out with a great group of friends from Iowa who were staying a bit longer. We went hiking, played games, talked, and had a good time.

On Monday, I got to show another campus visitor around. There wasn't a whole lot going on in the evening, so a few of us toured the mines, town, and even "the back way" from Jackson! It was a very enjoyable visit.

Since Monday, I've been trying to catch up on sleep, bring work back into a semblance of order, and catch up on things I've been putting off. I think next week may be returning back to normal.

To everybody who has been here to KMBC the last 2 weeks -- Great to have you here! I really enjoyed meeting you all. I got to meet so many great young people who have a heart to serve God. I liked spending time with you all. I appreciate you guys!

The Social Christianity Phenomenon; Happy with 75% Losses?

It's something called "Social Christianity." Riddled with questions like, "I know the most important thing is to love God. So if I love God while I'm sinning, it's ok, right?", this weak version of Christianity replaces a personal dynamic relationship with God with a social community relationship. If the peer group is Christian, so is the person in question. Instead of the Bible as the final authority, Social Christianity looks to friends to find the answers. The relationship with God is reduced to a "friend" or "buddy" level, effectively dethroning God and making Him "one of the guys."

Personal dissastisfaction with this adjusted version of Christianity is rampant, often leading its members to abandon all faith, and causing its adversaries to scorn its hypocrisy, emptiness, and immorality. Social Christianity has a security similar to a house of cards, with each holding the other. But it only takes a small wind to drop them all.
Leading experts report that upon studying in a secular college, up to 75% of Christian youth abandon their faith, never to return. (1) Did their house of cards collapse?

One analyst claims to have discovered the cure. "True Christianity is a dynamic relationship with an almightly God. Instead of a dependance upon friends, the Christian answers directly to God. The Bible - God's Word - is the final authority, not a discussion starter. Knowledge is granted by the Holy Spirit, as is the power and strength to live above sin.
It is so radically independent that many True Christians have been known to hold their faith even when every friend abandoned them and turned away. Some have gone so far as to die for their faith. (2) They were changed, and they were strong."

Social Christianity is expected to continue its rapid growth despite the rampant loss from members denying all faith. Rev. Isaiah Azariah lamented, "The only thing that will stop it is revival or persecution."


(1) Steve Henderson, A Question of Price Versus Cost. http://www.christianconsulting.net/statistics/CT3-06.pdf

(2) Foxe's Book of Martyrs. http://www.gutenberg.org/files/22400/22400-h/22400-h.htm
Jesus Freaks. http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1577780728/tnsanet-20