by Marc Buxton | | General, Technology, Time Management
I love my iPhone. Not because it’s cool looking. Or the most revolutionary device since the home PC. I like it because I can be more productive with it. Now that’s a good toy.
Actual screen-shot of my iPhone
Here’s a look at some of my favorite apps:
MailChimp – I use mailchimp for our ministry newsletters, and this app lets me see up to the minute stats on how our email campaigns are doing.
FlightTrack – helps me keep track of all the flights we are taking, and if any are delayed.
Skype – I pay the $5.95 monthly fee, and I can cal l from anywhere in the world that I can get a wi-fi signal. Used my cell to call my mom from Outback in Manila one time. Sweet.
Dropbox – I use dropbox all the time to share files with people. This little app lets me see those files, and edit them, right on my phone.
Carbonite – If you don’t have Carbonite online backup, you should. Their app is even cooler than their protection service. I can see any file that’s on my PC right on my iPhone. They should charge for this app, but they don’t.
YouVersion Bible – I use this all the time to reference verses, bookmark verses, etc. I even use it to keep track of my weekly Bible memory verse. The only downside is that people think you are playing Pacman on your phone if you decide to use it in church.
There you have it. Some of my favorite apps.
by Marc Buxton | | Family, General
My wife recently gave birth to our first child, Reece. Here’s some things I’ve learned…
1 – Babies do not like cold, wet anything touching them, at any time, for any reason.
2- Until you’ve been a father and you’ve held your child, you can’t explain it. It’s awesome.
3 -It is impossible to sleep in a hospital, even if you are just visiting. Don’t even attempt this.
4 – Our health care system is just fine, thank you very much Mr. President.
5 – My wife is an amazing woman.
by Marc Buxton | | General
I thought I would lighten things up a bit on the ol’ weblog, and share with you one of my favorite dishes. This is a Filipino dish that my wife (who was born and raised there) makes quite often. If you like Japanese Teriyaki chicken, there’s a good chance you’ll like this. Enjoy!
Chicken Adobo
1.5 lbs chicken cut into cubes
6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 chicken bouillon cube (Knorr brand)
2 bay leaves
1 tbsp sugar
1 cup water
2/3 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup vinegar
Mix all the ingredients in a pan and cook about 20 minutes over medium heat. Cover and let boil until the meat is tender. Serve over white rice while hot.
by Marc Buxton | | General
If you haven’t been following the Ergun Caner controversy, you can find background info on my blog, as well as James White’s blog here.
As of June 30, Dr. Ergun Caner is no longer the President of Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary. After the investigation, Liberty released a statement that Caner would be replaced. Here is how I see it:
Caner is a man of God. Do you think Jerry Falwell would have appointed someone head of the seminary who he did not know, had not vetted, and didn’t trust? Come on. Listen to his sermons, read his books, attend his classes, and tell me he is not sold out for Christ.
Caner is a dynamic speaker, an entertaining speaker. I’ve heard him on several occasions. He has a great sense of humor, on stage, in classroom lectures, and I imagine, at home. As I see it, giving Caner the benefit of the doubt, he misspoke in his excitement on several occasions. As someone who speaks quite often, I would imagine that I have given facts, figures, etc. wrong on occasion. I’m human. Here’s the point: if someone would just come up and ask me, I would be able to clarify why I mispoke (“Oh I didn’t realize I said that”, “I said that? I meant to say”, “That’s true…let me explain…”, etc.) No one asked him. They blogged instead. ( I have my theories on that. Maybe I’ll share them later). And if you comment on this post, arguing with this point, and have never spoken on more than one occasion to over 500 people – your criticism is invalid.
In short, there are several problems here:
1) Caner was viewed as guilty until proven innocent.
2) Caner’s Christian accuser’s ignored the process of Matthew 18 for settling problems such as this.
3) Caner’s primary attackers were either Muslim or Calvanist – both of which dislike Caner for his positions.
4) All of the “lies” can be adequately explained, as shown by Dr. Norman Geisler.
I think that Liberty University and the semimary are playing a bit of politics with their decision. Which is fine. As I’ve said before, Liberty is bigger than any one person (including the name Falwell). I think that Liberty decided it was best for the school to remove Caner and avoid any further smears in the media. The school will survive. Check that – thrive. However, Caner will stay on as a professor. Doesn’t this say something? I think it says: “Look, we are tired of the accusations from kooks with too much time on their hands, but to avoid hurting our school we are removing Caner from the spotlight. He’s too controversial for such a position. He is, however, irreplaceable in the classroom, which is where he will stay”.
As for Caner? I think justice has been served. His passion is teaching. He has said that, clearly, over and over. And if you believe his story about how Falwell surprised him at graduation by introducing him as the next seminary dean, it was not a role he had too much time to think about anyway. But he did his job – the seminary has grown leaps and bounds in the last several years, and now it can settle in and build on that growth with a less “controversial” dean at the head. Perhaps now Caner can return to his true love – his students.
Go Flames.
by Marc Buxton | | General
Now remember, this is not me saying this. It’s God. Global warming, as seen as a threat to life on earth and the planet’s continued existence, is a hoax. Or at least incorrect. A hoax is a claim perpetrated by someone who knows it isn’t true. Unfortunately, I think most people actually believe this one. But I’m not writing to give a political discussion. (I think it is, entirely, a political fabrication). If you don’t agree with me, however, read on. Maybe you will agree with God.
2 Peter 3: 5-7
5For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water: 6Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished: 7But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.
The Bible says that God is preserving the universe by His word. Is God stressed out about greenhouse gases? Is “climate change”, caused by man, going to throw God’s entire plan for history out of the window?
Let’s say I accept global warming as fact (I don’t). But let’s say I do. According to this passage, it doesn’t matter anyway! God is in control. Not Al Gore. But to accept this precept requires accepting God’s Word as truth. Not everyone is willing to do that, I understand. But for the Christian, scientist or not, it cannot be taken any other way: Man is not going to destroy the world through his actions. It is contrary to God’s Word. God’s judgement will bring fire and destruction to the earth. And He is keeping the earth in balance until that time.
What is your take on this passage and its application?
by Marc Buxton | | General
Ergun Caner is the current President of Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary. LBTS is a part of Liberty University, the world’s largest Christian university and my alma mater. Caner has recently been under attack (read the Washington Post story and the Christianity Today article) from bloggers and others who say that he has been lying about his Muslim background. As someone who has heard Caner speak in person, I can say that he does indeed indicate in his sermons that he had an extensive Muslim upbringing, being taught daily from the Quran in a madrasa in Istanbul.
Who is to say if Caner has been caught in a string of lies? A few bloggers? Please. The point is that at this moment, no one knows for sure. Liberty University has opened an official investigation. I recently met with a pastor who telephone Caner to offer him encouragement. Caner informed him that he was the first pastor to do so. How tragic.
Caner then explained how it would take him 2 hours to tell his Muslim background story from beginning to end. In a sermon, he gets to tell about 4 minutes of it (I would guess). So in pulling many different 4 minute tidbits from a 2 hour narrative on dozens of different occasions, isn’t there some chance that someone (a blogger) could get confused? That maybe, just maybe, someone could think they’ve caught someone in a lie, when in fact all they’ve done is miss the 4 minutes that should be inserted between the two they already have?
This pastor told me that Caner feels confident that he will be vindicated. And when you have men of God like Elmer Towns saying that “It’s not an ethical issue, it’s not a moral issue”, I would tend to agree.
The picture above is of me shaking Caner’s hand on Saturday as I received my diploma. But that’s not the point. I told him “I’m praying for you. Behind you all the way”. And I meant it.
Two thoughts in closing:
1) Is this not America? Innocent until proven guilty anyone?
2) James 1:19
Go Flames.
