So What's This All About?

In case you didn't know, I'm in the multi-year-long process of posting a Christian devotional at the TAWG Blog. The TAWG Blog is, and always will be, mostly apolitical. For the most part, Bible-believing Christians will find little to disagree with there. But I also firmly believe that God's word can--and should--inform everything in life, and this should include politics and popular culture. How should we vote? How should we respond to hot topics such as abortion, capital punishment, taxes, and other issues? Which party, if either, is closer to the Biblical ideal? Tony Campolo and Ron Sider, Evangelicals whose political leanings are on the Left, have made the case in several of their writings that God wants his followers to vote politically on the Left more than on the Right. At times, some of them have gone so far as to equate voting on the Left with obedience to Christ, either subtly or not-so-subtly contending that the converse is true as well: If you vote Republican, you're sinning against the Savior.
I don't agree. I think that to the degree they actually resort to the Bible, they're misinterpreting it. With a whole bunch of caveats, I think politically conservative positions are a lot more compatible with the Scriptures than the Leftist positions.
Just to clarify, I would never accuse people who disagree with me--especially siblings in Christ--of what they accuse me of. I don't judge my own heart, much less anyone else's, and I don't equate political disagreement with theological fidelity to God. I have no reason to doubt their love for the Lord and "for the least of these," but I believe that they're sincerely wrong.
So there are two main purposes for this blog. One is to make a case for my political beliefs based on Scripture. The other is a bit more vague, basically to work out my political beliefs and figure out what's based on Scripture and what's based on my own biases. I certainly don't have all the answers. Some of this stuff I'm still figuring out. And I'm certainly open to correction. As long as you make your case civilly and based on Scripture, feel free to make a comment, and I promise I'll post it and consider your arguments thoughtfully and prayerfully. Who knows? Maybe we'll learn a little something from each other.
May God bless our common striving together towards both the "little t" truth and "Big T" Truth. Our watchword here is a line from C. S. Lewis's The Last Battle: "Further up and further in!"

P.S. -- Below on the left is "Topics I've Covered" which lists everything I've posted topically. It's come to my attention that some people would like to see everything just listed for them. If that's you, you can get it here. Thanks to my friend Stephen Young for the tip!

Wednesday, December 26, 2018

Washington Crosses the Delaware

From Bill Bennett's American Patriot's Almanac:

Late December 1776 may have been the American Revolution’s gloomiest hour. The Patriot army, which seemed unable to win a battle, lay shivering in Pennsylvania. The troops were hungry, sick, and exhausted. More and more men deserted every day. “I think the game is pretty near up,” George Washington wrote.

Across the Delaware River in Trenton, New Jersey, 1,400 Hessian soldiers hired by King George of England sat snugly before their fires. Figuring that no army could move in such frozen winter weather, they were getting ready for a Christmas feast of roast goose and rum. George Washington’s men, meanwhile, were searching the Pennsylvania banks of the river for every boat they could find.

The Patriots began crossing the river as dark fell on Christmas night. Chunks of floating ice crashed into their boats as they fought the currents. Rain, hail, and snow fell. “It will be a terrible night for the soldiers who have no shoes,” wrote one of Washington’s aides. “Some of them have tied old rags around their feet.”

It was 3 a.m. before the last of the troops and equipment were across. The snow was stained with bloody footprints as the men stumbled nine miles toward Trenton. The wet weather had soaked much of their gunpowder, making it useless. Washington decided to push on.

The Americans attacked in the early light of December 26 in a blinding snow. The Hessians, stunned to discover an army appearing out of nowhere, had no chance to organize a defense. Within forty-five minutes, the fighting was over.

News of the American victory raced through the colonies. Perhaps the Patriot cause was not so hopeless. Weary soldiers began to talk of fighting on. With one bold move, George Washington had his countrymen believing that the fight for liberty might be winnable after all.

Every day, Bill Bennett provides via email--for free--a reading from his American Patriot's Almanac. You’ll read about heroes, their achievements, and key events that took place “On This Day” in American history. Click here to subscribe.

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