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Location: MInneapolis, Minnesota, United States

I am now a simple Grandpa who's life is made richer as each grandchild is born. My wife and I have raised five children and the 30 year love labor of raising them has begun to yield sweet fruit..... And then there are fruits of 30 years in ministry ... I am a satisfied old man full of the joy of the Lord.

Wednesday, November 30, 2005

New Christian Carnival Is Up

The latest Christian Carnival is up at Cadmusings. Why not stop by and give it a look?
Some of the best Christian thought from the last week on the web is posted there.
You can get to the postings by clicking here.

Monday, November 28, 2005

Ecosystem Suffers Global Warming

Wow ! Tonight I fell from about number 800 on the Ecosystem (Large mammal) to a mere multi-celled micro-organism. My new place number is 27,773 ! In one day over 27,000 bloggers evolved beyond my status in life.

It looks like I have failed to evolve. I must be suffering from an extreme case of de-evolution. Although the number of links to my blog went up, my place in line for a set of angel wings has suffered a severe set back.

The earths polarity must have switched. I feel small and insignificant and I can't afford a therapist. Somebody explain life to me once again before I die from grief.

Ooops! Can't write anymore.... the Simpsons are on. Now where did I leave my cone head hat?

Sunday, November 27, 2005

What Is With Some "Reformed" Christians?

I am a reformed charismatic. I hold to the "Sola's" I hold to about 4 1/2 point's of TULIP. But I will never understand why so many "reformed" people are so zealous about smoking cigars, drinking beer, and cussing.

Of course, I understand righteousness comes by faith and not by works. But why wear your vices as "hash marks" on the sleeves of your robes? I just don't get it. What good comes from it?

How do these things advance the kingdom of God? Shouldn't they be shed like an old garment? Is there any thought of others in the insistence of these rights? It just sounds like it is all about self. Many times some of these guys seem to be evangelistic in defense of what they do. As if they believe it to be a superior life form. Flaunting their "freedom."

Sure, all things are lawful, but not everything builds you up. I am not personally offended by such behavior, but it is something I left behind. I can live with folks like this. I just cannot understand them. Where, in their communion with the living God, do they see this as an example of life in the Spirit? The communion of the saints is around the body and blood of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Not cigars and beer and cussing.

Saturday, November 26, 2005

Thoughts About Christmas 05 In The USA

I have been thinking about the events of this Christmas season that is upon us. Specifically, these two areas. 1. The endless striving after more "stuff." 2. The attempt to take Christ out of Christmas.

I have been teaching out of the book of Ezekiel (not an easy task). Tonight we reached chapter 26 which is about the judgment of Tyre.

Where the judgment of Ammon, Moab, Edom, and Philistia were each no more than two paragraphs, the judgment of Tyre reaches over three entire chapters and gets us involved with more than just the city state of Tyre but also the colonies of Tyre, the anti-Christ and even satan himself.

Why does God go after Tyre so strongly? Why the special emphasis? What is it about Tyre's commercialism that God is so focused upon it? I believe it is no less than the difference between God's kingdom values and the values of the fallen, lust focused system of the devil himself. And which side do you think the corporate world in the USA is on?

Now, I am not a socialist or some kind of anti-capitalist. I am a typical American. I live in this country and I like it. But I do not buy into the lust for goods. The Christmas season seems to me to be a corporate scheme that is deeper than just a plan to get our money. It is, at its core, atheistic. It is anti-god. That is why the same system that began as a way to fleece us from our money by creating a commercial dream world based on the birth of Jesus, is now trying to turn the corner and remove Christ altogether.

There is no reason to remove Christ. The country of India has over 500 religions in it and yet they require nobody to apologize for what they believe. With this much diversity, they all get along. Hmmm? The philosopher E.R. Norman said, "Pluralism is a word society employs when it is in transition from one orthodoxy to another." I would change this to "Pluralism is a word scoundrels use when they want the society to transition from Christianity to atheism." These scoundrels are the CEO's of the morally corrupt business world. Nothing has changed since God judged Tyre.

The patsies of the corporate world are the professors of corporate academia. The universities of the USA call for "pluralism" because the money people believe in nothing but money. And in a valueless society, money is the discipler of values.

Jesus has His disciples and so does the devil. Tyre had its colonies. It was a discipler for the values of the anti-Christ. Other cities learned how they made money and copied it. The corporate world also disciples. It disciples towards atheism and tells us that we can fill that need for value with valueless "stuff."

No wonder the judgment of Tyre was three chapters long in Ezekiel. No wonder the corporate board rooms want to remove Christ from Christmas. I, for one, am not buying it. The more atheistic the corporations become, the less I will shop there for the necessities of this life. My life requires value.

Wednesday, November 23, 2005

I Am a Grandfather

Today at 4:30 PM my oldest son and my daughter-in-law had our first grandchild. His name is Malachi. He was 5 lbs. 14 oz. and 20 1/2 Inches long. Cute as a button. Dimple chin and curly hair.

All of the diligence parents put into their own children, to raise them in the ways of God, is not just for the good of their own children but also to lay a foundation for their grandchildren. What a blessing to know that Malachi is born into a Godly home with Jesus at the center of that home. What a destiny he has ahead of him.

And what satisfaction I feel in my heart right now, to know that he is well taken care of. Sleep in heavenly peace little Malachi. Tomorrow we get to work learning all of life's lessons. Grandpa will be there to help in at least part of it.

Monday, November 21, 2005

Bush Springs 9 Christian Leaders From Chinese Prisons

One really positive thing happened as a result of Bush's visit to China. Nine top leaders of the Christian revival in China were released from prison. Some showing signs of beatings. Eight were released on the 19th while he was there and a significant ninth was released on Monday after Bush left.

There is no clear information about how this came about but it is clearly linked to the Bush visit.
You can read more about this here.

Mankato Sweats While Studying

Mankato State has provided computers on stands to students in their rec centers so that they can study while exercising. It's more likely that they will watch music videos.

Can anybody say "they have more dollars than they have sense?"

Read about it here at Wired News.

Eau Claire RA Forbidden Bible Study

As some of you have heard, an resident hall advisor (RA) at the University of Wisconsin, Eau Claire, has been forbidden to do a personal bible study with other willing participants. The university holds that the RA's job is 24/7/365 and he cannot minister to the needs of the diverse population if he is busy studying the bible without unduly influencing them to be Christians.

What an outrageous stretch of boundaries and imagination. The administration of many of the land grant universities are really-over-the top in their anti-Christian thinking and behavior. They are destined to loose in the courts. Investigations have begun and the administrators will be corrected, but why do these things keep happening? Ans. ... Liberal agendas are still at work to overturn traditional American values.

Liberty requires diligence. You can read a great summary of these details at SCSU Scholars.

Return From Brief Vacation

My wife and I have just returned from a brief vacation to the beach. I will post new items this evening. Check back then please.

Thursday, November 17, 2005

Oil For Food Farce

A special appeals panel of the United Nations has overturned the ruling against the only person convicted of fraud during its entire investigation of the oil for food scandal. Yes, that is right, he got off totally free. And was reinstated in his job. And given a $200,000 settlement with a written apology. Bet you didn't hear about this on ABC, CBS, or NBC.

Fox News . com ran the story. You can read about it here.

Monday, November 14, 2005

All MOB, All The Time

Doug Bass at Crossword Bebop has developed a new blog that samples the top 25 MOB bloggers (per the TTLB Ecosystem). It is good site to take a quick look at what is being blogged in Minnesota. Give it a look. Although the yellow color of the font used on a white background is hard on the eyes, it is still a nice site.

Singapore's High Tech Version Of Neighborhood Watch

Singapore has taken the increase in crime seriously. They now have a text messaging program to notify your phone if you are in the area of a recent crime. This is pitched towards young people who are into this sort of communication. When the alert is sounded the theory is that the young people would then alert their friends and neighbors. First there was the telephone. Now there is the tell-a-kid. It might work.

Thanks to Smart Mobs for this alert. You can read more here.

Thursday, November 10, 2005

Child Porn Is Fasting Growing Internet Industry

Gee! This blog is getting to be a blog about sexual issues. I am going to get off of this topic soon. I hope.

Child porn, this means pornographic pictures of babies as young as newborn in sexual poses, is the fastest growing industry in America. Can God's justice not be far behind?

And you know as well as I do that it is not just some older skid row bums with bad breath and 6 day old beards that do this stuff. This is the stuff of starched white shirts and club ties. This is the stuff of young female teachers in our public schools. This is your postman and your beauty shop operators.

It is not prosecuted because everybody is tainted. The judges are freaks. The cops are freaks. The senators are freaks. The pastors are freaks. The scout leaders are freaks. How can they stand up in outrage if they themselves are compromised?

No, you will get little or no help from the establishment in any quest to eradicate this plague. They have all read their bibles enough to know that only "he who is without sin" can cast the first stone. And in the meantime, the believing wide eyed children are ravaged and raped and murdered as the country goes, "oh my!"

Child porn has been allowed to grow to a multi-billion dollar industry. It has political clout, and as such, this alligator cannot be swatted with a fly swatter. It will require champions. Knights in armor who forsake all in order to expose and deal with this sickness. Thank goodness that there are a few of these men left in America.

The digital age has made this moral poison available in the dark closets of American family homes. It is instant and addicting. The abusers that are being arrested are almost always found to have child porno in their possession.

Since 1997 the number of porno sites on the internet has increased 1500% This is pandemic. Around the world.

Here is a copy of the report I received that set me off on this tangent today.

Press Release

CHILD PORN AMONG FASTEST GROWING INTERNET BUSINESSES

ALEXANDRIA, VA, November 9, 2005 Within only a few years, child pornography has become a multi-billion dollar commercial enterprise, and is among the fastest growing businesses on the Internet. Through the use of digital and web cameras, child pornography has become easier and less expensive to produce. Distribution on the Internet has facilitated instant access by thousands and possibly millions of individuals throughout the world. The ability to use credit cards to purchase child pornography has made it easier than ever to obtain.

Arrests in the United States for the possession of child pornography, during a one-year period from 2000 to 2001, produced alarming results. According to investigators, the majority of those arrested had images of children who had not yet reached puberty. Specifically, 83% had pornographic material that involved children between ages of 6 and 12; 39% had material involving children between ages 3 and 5; and 19% had images of infants or toddlers under age 3.

The ease and anonymity of using home computers has revolutionized accessibility as well as the production and distribution of child pornography, especially across international borders, said Ernie Allen, President and CEO, National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC). The fact that child pornography can be purchased using a credit card, or traded at no cost on the Internet, is causing an exploding global problem and an immeasurable impact on the sexual exploitation of children.

The exact number of Web sites is difficult to determine. Since 1997, the number of child pornography images on the internet is estimated to have increased by 1500%. It is estimated that 100,000 child pornography Web sites exist on the Internet, and that number may being increasing. NCMECs congressionally mandated CyberTipline received 21,603 reports of child pornography in 2001, and in 2004 it received 106,176 reports a 491% increase over a four-year period.

Child pornography is illegal in most countries. The possession and/or distribution of child pornography is a federal crime in the United States. It is estimated that 20% of all pornography on the internet involves children. Traditionally, we have viewed pedophiles as the users and distributors of child pornography, said Allen. However, we are shocked to learn that the consumer market for child pornography is growing and becoming much broader. Younger and younger children are being victimized, and the content is becoming more graphic and more violent.

Child pornography is defined as the visual image of infants, toddlers, and children under age 18, in sexual poses or in explicit sexual activity. These are not adults dressed up as children. Many images depict violence such as bondage, rape, or torture. Although most pornographic images are of girls, the number of boys is increasing.

The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children is a private, nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization. Established in 1984, NCMEC works in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Justices Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention to provide services for families and law enforcement.

The NCMEC website, www.missingkids.com reaches a global audience with a multi- lingual database of images and information on missing children, prevention tips, and free resources. NCMEC also operates a 24-hour nationwide hotline 1-800-THE-LOST, and a 24-hour tip line, www.cybertipline. Since 1998, the CyberTipline has received more than 355,000 reports of child exploitation (including 323,000 reports of child pornography).

CONTACT:
Communications Department
NCMEC
703-837-6111

Sex On TV Doubles In Seven Years

Sex, 24 x 7 x 365 Sex all the time.

You would think that man cannot live without sex. You would think that sex is more important than food and water. You would think that sex is all that anybody thinks about. You would think that everybody is doing "it" multiple times a day, every day. Why would you think this?
Because you watch TV.

Now remember, we are not talking about commercials. We are talking about the programs.
The number of sex scenes on TV has doubled in just 7 years. I quit watching "programs" on TV in 1977 because it was so bad even back then.

All that I watch is news, sports, documentaries, and educational shows, but even these have gone nuts ! Now they have history programs about how the ancient cultures did the nasty and wrote it on the walls. You have sports programs about how female athletes managed to get into their volleyball shorts. You have news programs covering the latest sex practice in nursing homes. You have documentary films of taboo sexual practices of Eskimos and ladybugs. (Why do they think I am interested in how amoebas mate?)

I think we should hook all TV producers up to electrodes embedded in the pleasure centers of their brains and give them a button to push. This might keep them occupied until we can fill the moral Grand Canyon of emptiness in the hearts of men and women in America.

The new Kaiser Family Foundation survey tells us about these increases, and goes on to tell us that the number of programs that talk about responsible sex or safer sex has decreased during the same time frame. Why ?

Why does the industry ignore their potential to be part of the solution and instead choose to be a source of the problem? At the rate of 5 sex scenes per hour. Can they not see the problem? Every day we have someone else being abducted and found dead. It is as if there are rabid dogs roaming our neighborhoods seeking only one thing. And everybody makes believe that they are "not so bad. "

"Kids who have repeated exposure to sexual content become sexually active at an earlier age. The research is absolutely there," said Tim Winter, executive director of the Parents Television Council.
Teens watch an average of three hours of TV a day, according to Kaiser.
This trend must have spiritual roots. The problem is growing like the mold in the walls of New Orleans. It will eventually take the house down. Wake up America.

Wednesday, November 09, 2005

Slain Palestinian Child Organs Donated To Israeli Children

The parents of Ahmed Khatib, a 12-yr old Palestinian boy who was shot by Israeli soldiers last Thursday, donated his organs to three Israeli girls waiting for transplants. The girls underwent surgery hours after Ahmed died.

One received his lungs, one his heart, and one his liver. One innocent boy dies and three girls live due to the extraordinary love of Ahmed's family. They are to be honored. They are my heros.

Mr. Khatib said that he hoped the donation would send a message of peace to the Israelis and the Palestinians.

The girl who received the heart had been waiting five years, since she was 7, for a donor. Her father called it a "gesture of love."

You can read more here.

Stories like this give me hope.

Tuesday, November 08, 2005

Pervert Hits

I posted yesterday about the coming convention called "The Sex and So Much More Show" It is coming to the Mpls. convention center this month. I wanted to alert the readers to this lurking in our fair city.

Today my "site meter" started spinning like a fan. I am getting multiple hits searching for some of the most perverse things. Each is focusing on something concerning the show. By including the program and all the things it mentions I have become a lightning rod for perverseness. I actually had no idea that this mass of attention was upon these sorts of things. Call me naive. I have been living clean now for 28 years.

Now I am not a prude. I know about this world from before I became a Christian. I can say, without hesitation, that the hardest thing of my former sin life to deal with was sex. It was even harder to deal with than drugs. It went slowly, over time, with much grace. But it went. Whatever your sin area is, you become a slave to that thing. There are many, many, in slavery.

I don't like this attention. I wish I had not posted the notice about the convention.

The "Sex and So Much More Show" Is coming

Yes folks,
Your Minneapolis convention center has, in it's wisdom, worked hard to get the best conventions for our fair city. Bring the kids, bring grandma, and come to the Minneapolis Convention Center Nov. 17 - 20 where you will see, in their words....
The Concept

The Sex and So Much More Show is an upscale consumer trade show that showcases everything and anything to do with sex, sensuality, romance, and self-improvement.

This stimulating show is exciting and alluring to an affluent, liberal minded audience.

The Objectives

We are hosting a forum that displays the hottest trends in the sex industry that will also include informative demonstrations, entertainment, and contests.

Sex no longer has to be taboo, we want to bring the intrigue and mystery into the open and into the bedroom (or wherever you choose to have your fun!)

We are dedicated to satiating the curiosity of singles and couples alike in a provocative yet non-threatening environment.

The Show

Our show will include lingerie, toys, games, clothing, candy, travel and leisure, self improvement, fitness, cosmetics and so much more.

There will be hot entertainment and a beer garden, as well as fashion shows, contests, and appearances by famous adult celebrities.
Do we need this sort of business in our business "community?" What is the benefit for the city? Shouldn't this be under a brown cover? Or am I just an old Christian fundamentalist?

Prayer Transformation Ministries has asked for prayer cover for this event. I shiver when I think of the darkness and emptiness this will bring to our town. I get mad when I think of one more sexual predator lurking in our neighborhoods. Please pray.

Sunday, November 06, 2005

President Carter

Well, president Carter is at least consistent in his view of abortion. A recent quote from him is,
"I never have felt that any abortion should be committed -- I think each abortion is the result of a series of errors."
I give honor where honor is due on this. But it is hard for me to figure out what bible he is reading when it comes to a lot of his other values.

DDT Eliminating Malaria In Africa

DDT is an unpopular pesticide. Although, when I was a kid, we used to run around behind pick-up trucks spewing clouds of this stuff every night, it was banned from use in the USA. It seems it caused a great decline in birds by making the egg shells too soft so the chicks did not survive. Well, Africa has to make a choice between bird chicks dying or, as in the case of Uganda, the death of 110,000 children from malaria every year. Which would you choose?

The environmentalists, especially the European ones, are screaming. Richard Tren and Marian L. Tupy wrote an article about this in the August 18, 2005 Washington Times (p. A17) I quote their statistics from this article.

"Between 1998 and 2000, KwaZulu Natal, South Africa's most malarial province, stopped using DDT. The result was a 400% increase in malarial cases. The government was forced to reintroduce DDT. By 2001, malaria cases fell to their pre-1998 levels."
The EU is threatening Africa with sanctions. Africa scratches it's head and wonders what is wrong with the way the crazy Europeans think. It's a choice between birds or children for pete's sake ! They don't spray DDT on the field's like America did in the 50's. They only spray it in diluted form on the interior walls of their houses. In addition they sleep with bed nets.

The good news is that the US does not share the EU's approach to combating poverty and disease in Africa. President Bush committed $1.2 billion to Africa to help them stop malaria. His proposal specifically allows "indoor residual spraying.' Maybe the whole world is not insane after all.
This does not destroy the environment.

Saturday, November 05, 2005

C.S. Lewis Quote

"We must picture Hell as a state where everyone is perpetually concerned about his own dignity and advancement, where everyone has a grievance, and where everyone lives the deadly serious passions of envy, self-importance, and resentment."
C.S. Lewis, The Screwtape Letters

Wednesday, November 02, 2005

Ninth Circuit Court Is Insane

The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, in the West coast, has done it again. It is out of its mind. It has proven to be out of control. Now it has out done itself. Today, just hours ago.

The schools out there tricked the parents to give permission to their children to take a survey. The parents were never told that the survey was about sex. They were told that it was about "trauma" The "trauma" survey asked questions of 7 year old children like this:
While parents were informed that the survey would cover "baseline . . . exposure to early trauma (for example, violence)," it specifically did not mention sex. In fact, the survey asked seven year olds to "rate the following activities" among which were these
8. Touching my private parts too much
17. Thinking about having sex
22. Thinking about touching other peoples private parts
23. Thinking about sex when I dont want to
26. Washing myself because I feel dirty on the inside
34. Not trusting people because they might want sex
40. Getting scared or upset when I think about sex
44. Having sex feelings in my body
47. Cant stop thinking about sex
54. Getting upset when people talk about sex
Seven year olds were asked these questions. The parents of the children learned of the survey questions when their children started telling them about the survey. Horrified, the parents complained to the school, arguing that had they know the true nature of the survey, they would have never offered their consent. The school district rebuffed the parents, and the parents sued
Here is the exact wording of the reply the courts made to this charge as they dismissed it.
When parents of schoolchildren in Palmdale, California
learned from their sons and daughters that they had been
questioned in their public elementary school about sexual top-
ics such as the frequency of thinking about having sex and
thinking about touching other peoples private parts, some
of them exercised their constitutional right to take their griev-
ance to the courts. The questioning was part of a survey the
Palmdale School District was conducting regarding psycho-
logical barriers to learning. The parents brought an action in
district court against the School District and two of its offi-
cials for violating their right to privacy and their right to con-
trol the upbringing of their children by introducing them to
matters of and relating to sex. They brought both federal and
state claims. The district court dismissed the federal causes of
action for failure to state a claim upon which relief could be
granted and dismissed the state claims without prejudice to
their right to re-file in state court. We agree, and hold that there is no fundamental right of parents to be the exclusive provider of information regarding sexual matters to their chil- dren, either independent of their right to direct the upbringing and education of their children or encompassed by it. We also hold that parents have no due process or privacy right to over- ride the determinations of public schools as to the information to which their children will be exposed while enrolled as students.
Finally, we hold that the defendants actions were ratio-
nally related to a legitimate state purpose.
This is an outrage that must be fixed. No wonder the Dems are working so hard to stop the appointment of judges. Their "looney toons" understanding of reality is far from the center.

Many thanks to RedState.org for this heads up. You can see the entire legal opinion here.
Click on Fields V Palmdale.

Java Persecution

Christian persecution has become so commonplace in Java that they now face death. They no longer are allowed to meet in their meeting places so they have taken to meeting in the streets. No new churches are given permission to be built so they meet in houses and buildings, but these places are being systematically closed down. This has led them to meet publicly.

When they meet now, large Muslim crowds surround them and taunt, harass, and threaten them.
You can even see a video of this on CBN.

A Chinese friend of mine in Indonesia is now afraid to even ride public transportation in Bandung. Please pray for the Christians in Indonesia.

U of MN Apologizes

In a follow up to the item this week about the U of MN employee who used university time and computers to cuss out the American Family Association (AFA), it seems a letter writing campaign has had the effect of eliciting an apology from both the President of the U and the individual employee who did the cussing.
Here is the AFA report.
Yesterday (November 2), we received the following response from President Bruininks:

"Thank you for your email voicing concern regarding a University employee's use of offensive language to describe his views in an email using his University account.

"The University promotes a culture of tolerance and mutual respect and does not condone this kind of language. Our Code of Conduct policy establishes the expectation that all University employees adhere to the highest ethical standards of professional conduct and integrity. We are addressing this matter internally, and I am sure you understand state law prohibits discussing personnel matters publicly.

"Our understanding is that the employee has apologized for the manner in which he articulated his opinion. We appreciate your taking the time to share your concerns and your interest in the University of Minnesota."

In addition, we received the following apology from the state employee:

"After serious reflection, I would like to apologize to Mr. Sharp for the comments I posted on your website on 25 October, 2005. I acted in anger and now in retrospect I regret the way in which I communicated and worded my comments. Please accept my apology and relay this message to Mr. Sharp. Thank you for your time."
Bruiniks is right. The university does promote a culture of tolerance and mutual respect. The employee was disrespectful. But the AFA could also change its tone a little. It doesn't cost extra to show a little respect to anyone.

Tuesday, November 01, 2005

Strict Constructionist Quote

"If you think the Constitution is some exhortation to give effect to the most fundamental values of the society as those values change from year to year... If you think it is simply meant to reflect the evolving standards of decency that mark the progress of a maturing society - if that is what you think it is, then why in the world would you have it interpreted by nine lawyers? What do I know about the evolving standards of decency of American society? I’m afraid to ask."
- Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia.

New Christian Carnival

The new Christian Carnival is up at Wittenberg Gate.
You can go to it directly by clicking here.

Uganda Virginity Growing Because Of AIDS

The headlines could read "Virginity Becoming A "National Obsession" in Uganda." The threat of AIDS has brought the country to acceptance and promotion of virginity with "abstinence parties." Billboards say "Abstinence...You Can!" Scholarships are being offered for those women who can undergo gynecological exams and prove their virginity. This is being supported at the top levels.

And the liberals are screaming because they think that condom use is de-emphasized. Actually both programs are in place. But abstinence is catching on.

The wife of the President has said that the promotion of condom use is racist because it implies that black people cannot control their urges.

And there you have it. Control of urges is not very popular in the liberal left. "If it feels good, do it," is a left over dinosaur of the 60's.

Self control is a result of a relationship with God. No God, no relationship. No relationship, no self control. Maybe we should promote condoms with the godless and abstinence with the Christians in Uganda.

Religion ( a bad word to me) tries to put these things in a different order. It says, self control leads to a relationship with God. But God's word says otherwise. Faith is what leads us to a relationship, not self control. Self control is a result of relationship. Faith recognizes that the only moral excellence (virtue) we have is a free gift from Jesus. These are not my words. These are the words of the apostle Peter in 2 Peter 1: 5-7

...add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. (NKJV)


Notice how knowledge (of God) leads to self control? Self control leads to endurance. And enduring in controlling our urges leads finally to godliness? We don't begin to live godly lives until we first
... have faith...receive the free gift of righteousness....that leads us to relationship with the Holy God..... which affects us in such a way that we learn self control.... and as we endure in self control and don't backslide.....we begin to live godly and look godly....ending in love of others.....first the church.....and then those outside of the church. (Harpel paraphrase)


You can see the article in the LA Times here.