tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-59556222009-07-09T19:36:12.108-07:00Evangelical Christian Blog based on clear thinking and sound philosophy. Topics include: Apologetics, Intelligent Design, Homeschooling, and Politics (and everything else inbetween). Blogger: Rusty Lopez e-mail: NewCovenantBlog [a t} sbcglobal {d o t] netRustyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04649535070603621577noreply@blogger.comBlogger760125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5955622.post-58070631194605873452007-01-26T12:29:00.000-08:002007-01-26T12:31:11.537-08:00

I've moved this site over to Typepad, and I've also started posting again. Here's the new New Covenant.

Rustyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04649535070603621577noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5955622.post-1130901234528773842005-11-01T21:50:00.000-08:002005-11-01T21:49:33.916-08:00

While I enjoy writing posts for my New Covenant blog, I find that the time factor involved continues to be a problem. I've attempted to cut back on the frequency and length of my posts, but it continues to be a drain on my limited resources. Compounding the situation are issues pertaining to family, career, lifestyle, home location and the like, all of which I need to ponder on and, eventually,

Rustyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04649535070603621577noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5955622.post-1130651541670759842005-10-29T22:19:00.000-07:002005-10-29T22:52:21.733-07:00

Three 16 year-old Christian schoolgirls were attacked and beheaded (per FoxNews) in Indonesia on Saturday. There was not a mention of the viscious incident anywhere to be found on CNN's front page. Ditto for MSNBC. The Los Angeles Times' website did not have a link to the story on its home page. The bomb blasts in New Dehli, a caped killer in California, or the fact that Bush is suffering from

Rustyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04649535070603621577noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5955622.post-1129868328383044012005-10-22T08:25:00.000-07:002005-10-22T08:28:53.873-07:00

When faced with the task of making major life decisions, many Christians reverently perform a liturgy known as setting out a fleece. Whether it be for choosing a career or choosing a spouse, the idea we seem to have grown up with is that, in following the supposed example of Gideon, we should request a sign from God which can then be taken as a positive indicator of the direction He wants us go.

Rustyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04649535070603621577noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5955622.post-1129920350441096002005-10-21T11:45:00.000-07:002005-10-21T11:50:41.583-07:00

Two streaks of light blazed across the Martian sky, in January of 2004, as the Mars Exploration Rovers Spirit and Opportunity each approached their respective landing sites. One of the mission’s goals was to search for evidence of past water activity on a Mars that, it is hoped, had a warm and wet past. Inherent in this search for water activity is the search for evidence of life on the surface

Rustyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04649535070603621577noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5955622.post-1129697847264374322005-10-18T21:56:00.000-07:002005-10-18T21:57:27.273-07:00

In the Los Angeles Times' article (registration required), U.S. Labor Is in Retreat as Global Forces Squeeze Pay and Benefits, David Streitfeld provides a possible glimpse of the future as he outlines the impact of offshoring jobs, that were once firmly planted on American soil, to countries such as China and India. From the article, regarding the recent problems at Delphi Corp.: "How do U.S.

Rustyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04649535070603621577noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5955622.post-1129698012153882722005-10-16T21:59:00.000-07:002005-10-18T22:00:27.800-07:00

On October 11th Michelle Duggar, of Rogers, Arkansas, not only delivered her 16th child but indicated that she and her husband Jim would like to have more. Also last week, Peggy Jo Conner is alleged to have used a baseball bat to beat her neighbor Valerie Oskin, who happens to be eight months pregnant, and then attempt to cut out Oskin’s unborn child to take as her own. If Nature is all there is,

Rustyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04649535070603621577noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5955622.post-1129440185610930482005-10-15T22:22:00.000-07:002005-10-15T22:23:05.613-07:00

God bloggers from across the country converged at GodBlogCon 2005, in southern California, this past week to establish a sense of community, discuss the many facets of blogging from a Christian worldview, and ponder the implications of this burgeoning medium. Much ado was made regarding the power of blogging, as it flexes its technological muscle, and sculpts the very way information will be

Rustyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04649535070603621577noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5955622.post-1129418857846742942005-10-15T16:04:00.000-07:002005-10-15T17:05:18.993-07:00

I attended the two final breakout sessions today at GodBlogCon '05. The conference is now history. Some closing comments: All in all, a wonderful conference. Yes, it was heavily represented by conservative Christians (theologically and politically). My question to those who raised this as an issue: What did you expect? Kudos to the Biola students and graduates who volunteered their time to

Rustyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04649535070603621577noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5955622.post-1129385932162068622005-10-15T07:02:00.000-07:002005-10-15T07:22:31.476-07:00

I've been attending the GodBlogCon at Biola University. It has been simply wonderful to meet many people I've previously only communicated with over the web. While many bloggers are live-blogging the event I, without a laptop or wi-fi, am left to post during the few minutes I'm home at the beginning or end of the day. Hugh Hewitt broadcast his Friday show from Biola and interviewed several of

Rustyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04649535070603621577noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5955622.post-1129295476421672282005-10-14T06:10:00.000-07:002005-10-14T06:11:16.430-07:00

The Belmont Club and Instapundit have recently written about the concept of "singularity," not with reference to black holes, but to a supposedly inevitable, and soon to occur, point in human evolutionary expansion, the likes of which no eye has seen, nor ear heard. Ray Kurzweil, who has authored The Singularity Is Near : When Humans Transcend Biology, is quoted as saying, "the implications

Rustyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04649535070603621577noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5955622.post-1128660344233044772005-10-06T21:41:00.000-07:002005-10-06T21:49:57.270-07:00

Per CNN, New Orleans to lay off 3,000 workers: New Orleans will lay off 3,000 city workers -- about half the workforce -- because of financial constraints caused by Hurricane Katrina, Mayor Ray Nagin said Tuesday. ...Nagin said it was "with great sadness" that New Orleans was "unable to hold on to some of our dedicated city workers." (emphasis added) How about he start with the moron who told

Rustyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04649535070603621577noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5955622.post-1128657935741250082005-10-06T20:58:00.000-07:002005-10-06T21:05:35.756-07:00

Nobody's fault but mine, nobody's fault but mine If I don't read it my soul be lost Nobody's fault but mine I have a bible in my home, I have a bible in my home If I don't read it my soul be lost Nobody's fault but mine Father he taught me how to read, Father he taught me how to read If I don't read it my soul be lost, Nobody's fault but mine I have a bible of my own, I have a bible of my own

Rustyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04649535070603621577noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5955622.post-1128143909882201692005-09-30T22:15:00.000-07:002005-09-30T22:18:29.890-07:00

Check my Imago Articulus site for continuing and regular updates (unlike this blog).

Rustyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04649535070603621577noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5955622.post-1128091708464321762005-09-30T06:48:00.000-07:002005-09-30T08:03:07.276-07:00

In my previous post I described the non-Biblical notion that a Christian can, and should, seek direction from God in day-to-day decision making. Such a practice can essentially be reduced to hearing a word from God. One of my points, in refuting such a practice, was to note that God does not try to speak to us. If God intends to speak to you, you will hear Him; if God does not intend to speak to

Rustyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04649535070603621577noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5955622.post-1127276078097864112005-09-20T20:51:00.000-07:002005-09-21T22:20:25.853-07:00

I once had a disagreement with a pastor regarding the direction he was taking the church he shepherded. In short, I thought he was over-emphasizing the experiential aspect of Christian worship to the point of excluding serious teaching about God. It was my opinion that such an unhealthy emphasis on the experiential would result in a breakdown of the very fabric of the church. Thus, it was not

Rustyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04649535070603621577noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5955622.post-1126880545060992542005-09-16T07:08:00.000-07:002005-09-20T22:13:18.060-07:00

Judge: School Pledge Is Unconstitutional, A federal judge declared the reciting of the Pledge of Allegiance in public schools unconstitutional Wednesday in a case brought by the same atheist whose previous battle against the words "under God" was rejected by the U.S. Supreme Court on procedural grounds. U.S. District Judge Lawrence Karlton ruled that the pledge's reference to one nation "

Rustyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04649535070603621577noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5955622.post-1126850454088328072005-09-15T22:53:00.000-07:002005-09-15T23:00:54.096-07:00

Per Gaza looters settle old scores: As the last Israeli tanks depart the settlements are ravaged, from the Times of London, Pillars of fire lit up the night sky even before the last Israeli tanks rolled out before dawn yesterday, as thousands of Palestinians swarmed into the forsaken settlements and youths set fire to synagogues and other symbols of the hated occupation. ...The Palestinian

Rustyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04649535070603621577noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5955622.post-1126413361833257732005-09-10T20:57:00.000-07:002005-09-14T12:06:35.513-07:00

I just purchased a 2 CD set from Stand to Reason titled, From Truth to Experience: Why the Church Is Losing Its Vitality in the 21st Century. In it, Greg Koukl explains that he is, deeply concerned about the church'’s ability to fulfill Jude'’s admonition to "“contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints"” because of a trend in the church that'’s getting worse.He

Rustyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04649535070603621577noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5955622.post-1126069138018055132005-09-06T21:22:00.000-07:002005-09-06T22:00:27.420-07:00

Dear Gilligan, I heard you finally left the island... your island... and that you won't be coming back. Was it really over 40 years ago when you were first shipwrecked? Black and white. That's how I like to remember you - fishing from shore, while The Wellingtons sang in the background. But it was the '60s, after all, and color TV was the "in" thing. And with color TV came - color TV shows.

Rustyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04649535070603621577noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5955622.post-1126066854912126412005-09-06T21:10:00.000-07:002005-09-09T17:43:33.503-07:00

Check the timeline, with regards to how governments (yes, plural, as in local, state, and federal), responded to the threat, and impact of, Hurricane Katrina. Then read what Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi (D), from California had to say, "The people of the Gulf region were struck by two disasters. First was the hurricane and then the failure of the federal government in time of great need," she said

Rustyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04649535070603621577noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5955622.post-1125842576232919962005-09-04T06:52:00.000-07:002005-09-04T07:02:56.240-07:00

Per Chertoff: Katrina scenario did not exist, Defending the U.S. government's response to Hurricane Katrina, Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff argued Saturday that government planners did not predict such a disaster ever could occur. But in fact, government officials, scientists and journalists have warned of such a scenario for years. Chertoff, fielding questions from reporters,

Rustyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04649535070603621577noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5955622.post-1125635957151394132005-09-01T21:37:00.000-07:002005-09-01T21:39:17.163-07:00

You can donate online to hurricane relief funds through the following organizations: Assemblies of God World Vision Home School Legal Defense Association

Rustyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04649535070603621577noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5955622.post-1125163906660213432005-08-27T10:31:00.000-07:002005-08-27T10:34:34.896-07:00

Rustyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04649535070603621577noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5955622.post-1125067796781213292005-08-26T07:33:00.000-07:002005-08-26T07:49:56.800-07:00

New exhibit at London Zoo - humans, per Yahoo! News. "We have set up this exhibit to highlight the spread of man as a plague species and to communicate the importance of man's place in the planet's ecosystem," London Zoo said. The scantily-clad volunteers will be treated as animals and kept amused at the central London zoo with games and music. ...Brendan Carr, 25, from Aylesbury, southern

Rustyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04649535070603621577noreply@blogger.com1