March 26, 2009
Today's Reading: Deuteronomy 17-18 and Romans 6
I think that a few days ago, I might have said something to the effect of “hey, let’s go commit some sins and stuff, and then have faith and be forgiven”. I was joking when I mentioned that by the way, so I hope nobody did anything that caused some bad consequences to happen.
In fact, today’s reading in Romans discussed this very situation. Paul joked that we should continue to sin so that we can make more grace. His response is simply “no”.
It would be like having a drug that could undo the affects of drugs. Let’s say such a thing existed. So you could take all kinds of drugs like marijuana, heroin, alcohol, the whole batch. You could get high, and then take a drug that would remove all of the addictive effects.
The problems is, the user would be addicted to that drug. This is what Paul would say. Someone who commits sins and then washes the slate clean and then repeats has a problem. They are addicted to sin.
I’m sure some of you may know people who are Christian hypocrites, who indulge in all sorts of bad behaviors, but plan on using the “get out of hell free” card at the end. They suppose that if they don’t kill anybody, they have this diplomatic immunity.
In all honesty, I cannot stand people like these for several reasons. First, they give people who are trying to live a godly life a bad name. Considering all the Catholic priests who are facing child molesting charges, I think you see what I mean. I’ve noticed those critical of the church fail to talk about the extremely high percentage of priests who are not child molesters.
The second reason is because that I could be one of them, and not even realize it. I can think of many a times in my life where I have had to repent of sins, and then discovered that I have more sins to deal with. Sometimes I can’t stand how I live, period. There are times when I am so disgusted with myself, that I don’t know how God puts up with me.
If I am addicted to sin, then Jesus really is the only cure. He does a good job at taking care of me, but then you get addicted to Jesus. Sadly, this is the only way to live life, addicted to sin or addicted to Jesus.
If you are going to be addicted to sin, do it right. Don’t pretend to be a Christian. Just do a lot of sin, and leave Christ behind. Yeah, there is going to be sucky after-effects.
That, or give yourself utterly to Jesus. It really is the only way.
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Debt Cancellation
March 25, 2009
Today's Reading: Deuteronomy 15-16 and Romans 5
The reading I Deuteronomy talks about a celebration that took place every seven years amongst the ancient Israelites. Every seven years, everyone has their particular debts cancelled.
Man, just think if we did that today! I would just continually stay in school. I would spend seven years working on a new doctorate in a different subject. After 49 years, the 50th year would prove me the smartest man on the planet.
This little debt-canceling ritual reminds me of something that I have in my home. Every year, after I have accrued much debt on my credit cards, I use my tax refund to pay it off. It’s like I have my seven-year celebration every year, except I still owe money. Yeah, it is only somewhat cool. I mean, it isn’t like my debts get cancelled.
This year, though, I’m not certain whether my tax refund will cover all of my debt. Dang. I guess you can’t win them all. I also guess that I am assuming that my debt is probably going to increase as well. I suppose that something called my death is going to cancel it out, or something.
Of course, I really am sick of comparing the presence of sin in my life with the presence of debt. I guess most of us can relate with that, because sadly, when it comes down to it, we live for money. I hope that I am past it controlling me and everything I do, but still, money ain’t everything.
This is why I consider my debts as nothing. After all, the bible says in Romans when “sin increases, grace increases all the more”. Certainly this is true in this economy, when everyone is talking recession, and whispering depression.
I’m not at all worried about depression, but that is because I don’t feel like I’m not really living in it, really. I mean, I am not exactly pan-handling, and I’m not waiting in any breadlines or anything.
Something tells me that I might have to face some sort of hard times in my life. Maybe I will get through my whole life without ever facing a depression or a major war. I’m sure there will be times when I am going to come up short in some area in my life.
Just to let you know, God has got my back. I suppose that there is a seven-year debt cancellation for pretty much all time.
Today's Reading: Deuteronomy 15-16 and Romans 5
The reading I Deuteronomy talks about a celebration that took place every seven years amongst the ancient Israelites. Every seven years, everyone has their particular debts cancelled.
Man, just think if we did that today! I would just continually stay in school. I would spend seven years working on a new doctorate in a different subject. After 49 years, the 50th year would prove me the smartest man on the planet.
This little debt-canceling ritual reminds me of something that I have in my home. Every year, after I have accrued much debt on my credit cards, I use my tax refund to pay it off. It’s like I have my seven-year celebration every year, except I still owe money. Yeah, it is only somewhat cool. I mean, it isn’t like my debts get cancelled.
This year, though, I’m not certain whether my tax refund will cover all of my debt. Dang. I guess you can’t win them all. I also guess that I am assuming that my debt is probably going to increase as well. I suppose that something called my death is going to cancel it out, or something.
Of course, I really am sick of comparing the presence of sin in my life with the presence of debt. I guess most of us can relate with that, because sadly, when it comes down to it, we live for money. I hope that I am past it controlling me and everything I do, but still, money ain’t everything.
This is why I consider my debts as nothing. After all, the bible says in Romans when “sin increases, grace increases all the more”. Certainly this is true in this economy, when everyone is talking recession, and whispering depression.
I’m not at all worried about depression, but that is because I don’t feel like I’m not really living in it, really. I mean, I am not exactly pan-handling, and I’m not waiting in any breadlines or anything.
Something tells me that I might have to face some sort of hard times in my life. Maybe I will get through my whole life without ever facing a depression or a major war. I’m sure there will be times when I am going to come up short in some area in my life.
Just to let you know, God has got my back. I suppose that there is a seven-year debt cancellation for pretty much all time.
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Credit for Righteousness
March 24, 2009
Today's Reading: Deuteronomy 13-14 and Romans 4
It is very interesting to see how Romans deals with faith being accredited as righteousness. Especially as it describes a salary as an obligation of work. It was odd that Abraham’s faith was considered righteousness.
Is that really it? Is that all we really need to be righteous? Does anyone think that is a little…easy? I mean, can I do all the sin I want, and then just have a little faith, and bam, I’m completely made righteous?
That is so cool. Well, if you will excuse me, I’m going to quit this blog and go look at some porn or something, then I’m going to kill someone. Hopefully, I won’t get caught or anything.
And hey, after I do all this really evil stuff, all I need to do is have a little faith, and I will be righteous again. This is going under the assumption that I was righteous in the first place.
In all honesty, I’m kind of glad that righteousness is really that easy. If you look at what Abraham did in his life, he didn’t always do the right thing. After all, the Lord commanded him to leave the land, and leave his family behind. I believe that he took Lot with him, who was his nephew. Not really following the letter of the law, are you?
Then there was those times in Egypt, where he told the people there that Sarah was his sister. Boy, that was one of those lies that just went horribly wrong. It was like something out of a situation comedy. Unfortunately, it didn’t go well, and bad stuff happened. I actually believe that he did this twice.
Yet this is the same man who was willing to sacrifice his son on an altar. How in the world did this man, who did such stupid things, do the right thing later on. I guess that gives us hope for all of us.
I know I have done some muy estupido thingys in the past, man, Very dumb. Stuff that I should have known better, and did. And all I really had to do is just have some faith, and it is suddenly credited to me as righteousness.
It’s like a credit card that I maxed out, and because I have faith that there is money on it, suddenly my debt is cancelled. If I wanted to make a spiritual connection, now all my badness is let go, and I can be free to start again.
If the Bible was written today, perhaps even I, or you, could be mentioned in the book of Proverbs.
Today's Reading: Deuteronomy 13-14 and Romans 4
It is very interesting to see how Romans deals with faith being accredited as righteousness. Especially as it describes a salary as an obligation of work. It was odd that Abraham’s faith was considered righteousness.
Is that really it? Is that all we really need to be righteous? Does anyone think that is a little…easy? I mean, can I do all the sin I want, and then just have a little faith, and bam, I’m completely made righteous?
That is so cool. Well, if you will excuse me, I’m going to quit this blog and go look at some porn or something, then I’m going to kill someone. Hopefully, I won’t get caught or anything.
And hey, after I do all this really evil stuff, all I need to do is have a little faith, and I will be righteous again. This is going under the assumption that I was righteous in the first place.
In all honesty, I’m kind of glad that righteousness is really that easy. If you look at what Abraham did in his life, he didn’t always do the right thing. After all, the Lord commanded him to leave the land, and leave his family behind. I believe that he took Lot with him, who was his nephew. Not really following the letter of the law, are you?
Then there was those times in Egypt, where he told the people there that Sarah was his sister. Boy, that was one of those lies that just went horribly wrong. It was like something out of a situation comedy. Unfortunately, it didn’t go well, and bad stuff happened. I actually believe that he did this twice.
Yet this is the same man who was willing to sacrifice his son on an altar. How in the world did this man, who did such stupid things, do the right thing later on. I guess that gives us hope for all of us.
I know I have done some muy estupido thingys in the past, man, Very dumb. Stuff that I should have known better, and did. And all I really had to do is just have some faith, and it is suddenly credited to me as righteousness.
It’s like a credit card that I maxed out, and because I have faith that there is money on it, suddenly my debt is cancelled. If I wanted to make a spiritual connection, now all my badness is let go, and I can be free to start again.
If the Bible was written today, perhaps even I, or you, could be mentioned in the book of Proverbs.
Monday, March 23, 2009
No Reason to be Enticed
March 23, 2009
Today's Reading: Deuteronomy 11-12 and Proverbs 23
I like how the Bible states very clearly that: “be careful, that you will be enticed to turn away and worship other gods and bow down to them”.
It is true that it is easy to be ensnared by temptation. It’s like one of those box traps with the stick and the string that is attached. I wish that temptation wasn’t so tempting sometimes.
Is it any wonder that Proverbs warns that we must be wary of giving in to sin? For example, when you dine with a ruler, it is necessary to put a knife to your throat so you do not overeat.
In some manner, it is necessary to approach life in that way. Ask yourself how much secular radio is good to listen to, and how much movies are worth watching? The answer should be no more than really necessary.
The issue with temptation is we are the ones who give in to it, so we have no one to blame but ourselves if we fall prey to it. We could blame the bait for being so charming, but in the end, we should have known better. What kind of fish would bite bait if they knew there was a hook in it? The only difference between a caught fish and someone who gives into temptation is the person who gives in to temptation knows there is a hook there, and bites anyway.
If have this view when it comes to temptation. Yes, it looks good. There is no point in ignoring that fact. Resisting temptation by calling it other than enticing is only living in a state of denial.
However, we should call it something for which we can overcome. Sometimes I see a high height and want to just dive off, and the thing that keeps me from doing that is the sudden stop. In short, the thrill of freefall isn’t worth the death blow at the end.
Temptation. It isn’t that hard to handle. Let us not make it harder, otherwise, we give it power that it doesn’t have.
Could we just forget about it? Can we, please? We have this Godly power to overcome it, and even if we didn’t, a redeemed mind can conquer this matter. Am I oversimplifying the situation. I hope so. I really do. There just isn’t a reason to give in to temptation of any kind. I don’t want to come up with any “special scenarios” either.
Today's Reading: Deuteronomy 11-12 and Proverbs 23
I like how the Bible states very clearly that: “be careful, that you will be enticed to turn away and worship other gods and bow down to them”.
It is true that it is easy to be ensnared by temptation. It’s like one of those box traps with the stick and the string that is attached. I wish that temptation wasn’t so tempting sometimes.
Is it any wonder that Proverbs warns that we must be wary of giving in to sin? For example, when you dine with a ruler, it is necessary to put a knife to your throat so you do not overeat.
In some manner, it is necessary to approach life in that way. Ask yourself how much secular radio is good to listen to, and how much movies are worth watching? The answer should be no more than really necessary.
The issue with temptation is we are the ones who give in to it, so we have no one to blame but ourselves if we fall prey to it. We could blame the bait for being so charming, but in the end, we should have known better. What kind of fish would bite bait if they knew there was a hook in it? The only difference between a caught fish and someone who gives into temptation is the person who gives in to temptation knows there is a hook there, and bites anyway.
If have this view when it comes to temptation. Yes, it looks good. There is no point in ignoring that fact. Resisting temptation by calling it other than enticing is only living in a state of denial.
However, we should call it something for which we can overcome. Sometimes I see a high height and want to just dive off, and the thing that keeps me from doing that is the sudden stop. In short, the thrill of freefall isn’t worth the death blow at the end.
Temptation. It isn’t that hard to handle. Let us not make it harder, otherwise, we give it power that it doesn’t have.
Could we just forget about it? Can we, please? We have this Godly power to overcome it, and even if we didn’t, a redeemed mind can conquer this matter. Am I oversimplifying the situation. I hope so. I really do. There just isn’t a reason to give in to temptation of any kind. I don’t want to come up with any “special scenarios” either.
Giant Times
March 22, 2009
Today's Reading: Deuteronomy 9-10 and Provers 22
In the book of Deuteronomy, Chapter 9, God does not mince with the Hebrews, presumably before they enter the Promised Land. I say presumably, because I often lose track of where the heck these books of Moses are being read from or how they were read.
I’ve speculated on that before, and this is not my point. The point is God tells the Hebrews that they are going to have to face giants. These are big guys, and essentially everything big that you heard about them is true.
I suppose that our life has a lot of giants. Sometimes getting out of bed makes me feel like I am David, and I don’t have a sling.
However, why should I feel that way? It’s not like there is a bunch of giants out there who are ready to dice me into chunks if I step one foot in their land.
You want to hear something that you don’t want to hear? Christians these days are not being persecuted, except by slander and label only. Even though public opinion is pretty strong, but that is really only because that people are stupid.
Yes, that is a negative view of humanity, and you should hear my view on redeemed humanity. It is just as bad, because I honestly think that Christians these days don’t really have anything to fear in this world. And this is not because God is supporting them, it’s just that there isn’t much out there for them to be afraid of.
Of course, I am talking about Christianity in nations where safety is pretty well-established, and there isn’t much mass persecutions going on. I believe that I am ignoring a lot of situations with my last rant, and for that, I apologize.
Still, God has promised us that a fire would come before us. I don’t know what form that fire will come in. Perhaps it will be our fears of the giants, reflected on them.
Remember in the movie Return of the King when the King Theoden rode into battle against the orcs. He rides out with so much fervor, that the men (and one woman) follow him blindly. They storm the front of evil orcs, and the confidence of the evil ones turns very quickly to fear. Then the good guys ram through them like they were tissue paper.
This is what giants are in our life. The issue is, most of us don’t have that army. One day, we will, and that fire will be there, if we take it.
Today's Reading: Deuteronomy 9-10 and Provers 22
In the book of Deuteronomy, Chapter 9, God does not mince with the Hebrews, presumably before they enter the Promised Land. I say presumably, because I often lose track of where the heck these books of Moses are being read from or how they were read.
I’ve speculated on that before, and this is not my point. The point is God tells the Hebrews that they are going to have to face giants. These are big guys, and essentially everything big that you heard about them is true.
I suppose that our life has a lot of giants. Sometimes getting out of bed makes me feel like I am David, and I don’t have a sling.
However, why should I feel that way? It’s not like there is a bunch of giants out there who are ready to dice me into chunks if I step one foot in their land.
You want to hear something that you don’t want to hear? Christians these days are not being persecuted, except by slander and label only. Even though public opinion is pretty strong, but that is really only because that people are stupid.
Yes, that is a negative view of humanity, and you should hear my view on redeemed humanity. It is just as bad, because I honestly think that Christians these days don’t really have anything to fear in this world. And this is not because God is supporting them, it’s just that there isn’t much out there for them to be afraid of.
Of course, I am talking about Christianity in nations where safety is pretty well-established, and there isn’t much mass persecutions going on. I believe that I am ignoring a lot of situations with my last rant, and for that, I apologize.
Still, God has promised us that a fire would come before us. I don’t know what form that fire will come in. Perhaps it will be our fears of the giants, reflected on them.
Remember in the movie Return of the King when the King Theoden rode into battle against the orcs. He rides out with so much fervor, that the men (and one woman) follow him blindly. They storm the front of evil orcs, and the confidence of the evil ones turns very quickly to fear. Then the good guys ram through them like they were tissue paper.
This is what giants are in our life. The issue is, most of us don’t have that army. One day, we will, and that fire will be there, if we take it.
Roman Customs
March 21, 2009
Today's Reading: Deuteronomy 7-8 and Romans 3
I believe that I have stated before that there are parts of the Bible that are way too boring. Sometimes it is as tedious as watching paint dry.
Parts in the Old Testament after Exodus are somewhat repetitive and I’m not certain how needed that they are. I am now headed to the section of the New Testament where it gets pretty tedious.
Yeah, the gospels are great because it is about Jesus, pure and simple, and Acts is sort of the sequel to it. In fact, it even takes the story the next level as the action of Christianity begins.
However, it then becomes a series of letters. It becomes rather tedious from there. It is way to easy to blur it all as you are reading.
Since we just started Romans, it would be good to read it aloud to keep your attention. Romans is one of those book that really summarizes the gospel message, but not in a way that most understand it.
Most people have a very overly-simplified version of the gospel, which usually involves saying some sort of special prayer so that you can be “saved”. This model is shunned in Romans, and it gives something a little more complex.
I’m sure that it probably came as a shock to many of the Jews at the time that simply being a Jew did not qualify you for this new program. In fact, the Jews and Gentiles now had some common ground, that they were both sinners.
I believe it was verses about righteousness by faith which caused Martin Luther to completely rethink what was going on. I mean, people actually thought that by donating money to the church, you could free your loved ones from Purgatory. I honestly don’t know how such a sick system got implemented. I’m certain that it was probably never meant to be that way. It’s funny how little customs become laws over time, and before you know it, everyone is joining the dance. Oftentimes, it is difficult to listen to the one who adds some new steps.
I imagine that was the turmoil of change that was going on in Paul’s time. People’s faith was being shaken up, and all the customs were being thrown out the window.
This is still happening today. There is so many customs that Christians are doing today that are completely whack. Some of them are based on actual Scripture, but if you really look at some of them, many are more of a custom than anything else.
For example, why does church meant on Sunday? Why do we sing songs at it, and listen to a Sermon. What in the Bible tells us to do a church service this way? What in the world makes us build buildings called churches? Is this for tax purposes?
No one wants to ask these questions, as they genuinely lead to a lot of revolution, which you will either love or hate. However, maybe that is what needs to happen.
Today's Reading: Deuteronomy 7-8 and Romans 3
I believe that I have stated before that there are parts of the Bible that are way too boring. Sometimes it is as tedious as watching paint dry.
Parts in the Old Testament after Exodus are somewhat repetitive and I’m not certain how needed that they are. I am now headed to the section of the New Testament where it gets pretty tedious.
Yeah, the gospels are great because it is about Jesus, pure and simple, and Acts is sort of the sequel to it. In fact, it even takes the story the next level as the action of Christianity begins.
However, it then becomes a series of letters. It becomes rather tedious from there. It is way to easy to blur it all as you are reading.
Since we just started Romans, it would be good to read it aloud to keep your attention. Romans is one of those book that really summarizes the gospel message, but not in a way that most understand it.
Most people have a very overly-simplified version of the gospel, which usually involves saying some sort of special prayer so that you can be “saved”. This model is shunned in Romans, and it gives something a little more complex.
I’m sure that it probably came as a shock to many of the Jews at the time that simply being a Jew did not qualify you for this new program. In fact, the Jews and Gentiles now had some common ground, that they were both sinners.
I believe it was verses about righteousness by faith which caused Martin Luther to completely rethink what was going on. I mean, people actually thought that by donating money to the church, you could free your loved ones from Purgatory. I honestly don’t know how such a sick system got implemented. I’m certain that it was probably never meant to be that way. It’s funny how little customs become laws over time, and before you know it, everyone is joining the dance. Oftentimes, it is difficult to listen to the one who adds some new steps.
I imagine that was the turmoil of change that was going on in Paul’s time. People’s faith was being shaken up, and all the customs were being thrown out the window.
This is still happening today. There is so many customs that Christians are doing today that are completely whack. Some of them are based on actual Scripture, but if you really look at some of them, many are more of a custom than anything else.
For example, why does church meant on Sunday? Why do we sing songs at it, and listen to a Sermon. What in the Bible tells us to do a church service this way? What in the world makes us build buildings called churches? Is this for tax purposes?
No one wants to ask these questions, as they genuinely lead to a lot of revolution, which you will either love or hate. However, maybe that is what needs to happen.
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Spontaneous Love
March 20, 2009
Today's Reading: Deuteronomy 5-6 and Romans 2
For those of you who didn’t enjoy reading the Decalogue (a group of ten things) in Deuteronomy Chapter 5 might enjoy its summation in chapter 6.
“You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength”. Is it any wonder why that Jesus gave that answer to a man who asked him what the greatest commandment was?
I suppose this is what makes the gospel simple, and get so complicated. After all, is anything simpler than love? The answer is, heck yeah, it is. Because when you really look at it, love is a pretty complicated thing indeed.
Even movies have told us this. You might see a guy and a girl hook up, and everything looks great, but then life sets in, and the “boy meets girl” beautiful beginning quickly becomes an ugly curse.
I recently saw the film The Graduate, which dealt with Dustin Hoffman finding true love with Barbara Robinson. Unfortunately, Hoffman’s character, Benjamin Braddock, had experienced a huge batch of false love as he had a sordid affair with Barbara’s mother prior to their first date. Benjamin goes to Berkeley University just to be with Barbara, only she does not want him, and is seeing someone else. Eventually, Barbara changes her mind, but her parents, who have learned all of Benjamin’s history, want nothing to do with him. In fact, they arrange to Barbara can marry the other man she’s seeing.
Benjamin then makes a choice to pursue Barbara with all his heart, soul, and strength. That is, as much as he can and speeds to where he believes that she is getting married. He even pretends that he is a reverend over the phone to get the precise location. He drives until his car dies, and he just leaves it and runs to where the church is.
Sadly, he arrives there too late, and the groom has kissed the bride. Benjamin is behind a glass wall, and he bangs on it just to get her attention. She apparently wants to go with him, and together, they fight off the wedding crowd and flee to a nearby bus.
After they get on the bus, there is this one long awkward minute where the two of them realize that they really don’t know what to do next. I couldn’t think of a better way to end the film. While the wonderful feelings of love have ended, there is always the reality of life to deal with.
The sad thing is, this what most people think about when they think about loving God. They think about all the commitment that is going to have to happen to get involved with a relationship with God. Why is it that most people don’t think about the good feelings involved?
If we did, then none of us would have any trouble following the greatest commandment. To hell with the rest of the consequences of falling in love with God.
Today's Reading: Deuteronomy 5-6 and Romans 2
For those of you who didn’t enjoy reading the Decalogue (a group of ten things) in Deuteronomy Chapter 5 might enjoy its summation in chapter 6.
“You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength”. Is it any wonder why that Jesus gave that answer to a man who asked him what the greatest commandment was?
I suppose this is what makes the gospel simple, and get so complicated. After all, is anything simpler than love? The answer is, heck yeah, it is. Because when you really look at it, love is a pretty complicated thing indeed.
Even movies have told us this. You might see a guy and a girl hook up, and everything looks great, but then life sets in, and the “boy meets girl” beautiful beginning quickly becomes an ugly curse.
I recently saw the film The Graduate, which dealt with Dustin Hoffman finding true love with Barbara Robinson. Unfortunately, Hoffman’s character, Benjamin Braddock, had experienced a huge batch of false love as he had a sordid affair with Barbara’s mother prior to their first date. Benjamin goes to Berkeley University just to be with Barbara, only she does not want him, and is seeing someone else. Eventually, Barbara changes her mind, but her parents, who have learned all of Benjamin’s history, want nothing to do with him. In fact, they arrange to Barbara can marry the other man she’s seeing.
Benjamin then makes a choice to pursue Barbara with all his heart, soul, and strength. That is, as much as he can and speeds to where he believes that she is getting married. He even pretends that he is a reverend over the phone to get the precise location. He drives until his car dies, and he just leaves it and runs to where the church is.
Sadly, he arrives there too late, and the groom has kissed the bride. Benjamin is behind a glass wall, and he bangs on it just to get her attention. She apparently wants to go with him, and together, they fight off the wedding crowd and flee to a nearby bus.
After they get on the bus, there is this one long awkward minute where the two of them realize that they really don’t know what to do next. I couldn’t think of a better way to end the film. While the wonderful feelings of love have ended, there is always the reality of life to deal with.
The sad thing is, this what most people think about when they think about loving God. They think about all the commitment that is going to have to happen to get involved with a relationship with God. Why is it that most people don’t think about the good feelings involved?
If we did, then none of us would have any trouble following the greatest commandment. To hell with the rest of the consequences of falling in love with God.
Saturday, March 21, 2009
God Shows and Doesn’t Show
March 19, 2009
Today's Reading: Deuteronomy 3-4 and Romans 1
One of the things that makes God such an interesting character is the fact that He is both consistent and non-consistent.
It is revealed in today’s reading in Deuteronomy, that God did what he did for the Hebrews because he wanted to show the Israelites that He is, in fact, God. He reminds the Israelites of where they have been, and then asking them if anyone else has ever done anything like what God has done.
Seriously, I can’t think of anyone either. I have to admit that I loved God’s hands-on approach as the Israelites, and I wouldn’t mind if God did that for me.
What is interesting is the reading in Romans today sort of gives a near-contrasting view of God. There seems to be idea in Romans that the wrath of God is reveal from heaven against all godlessness and wickedness. This doesn’t sound like the kind of revelation that was done by parting the Red Sea, as there is implication that the world can not really see the evidence of God.
Oddly enough, there are times that God just sort of backs off. Seriously, if someone wants to embrace sexual immorality, God will let them. In fact, He might make it easy for someone to get their sexual game on. I’m not certain why God just doesn’t put a block on everyone who wants to sin. Some may say that God is unfair, that he put a flaming sword around the Tree of Life after Adam ate from the Tree of Conscience. Why didn’t God just put the flaming sword around the Tree of Conscience in the first place?
Maybe because he actually values our free will. He values it so much that he is willing to let us sin, even though the consequences could be dire.
He does give us a conscience that is consciously aware that God is over the entire universe. If God puts that in everyone’s heart, then there must be some sort of door in our mind that we can shut and possibly lock if we want to ignore God.
I suppose that would mean that we wouldn’t have to put God in our hearts and minds at all. We could actually say, “nah, God’s not there”.
I must admit that I have never said that, and there have been times that I wanted to. The truth is that I can’t stand the idea of a world without God. Perhaps that makes me weak. Maybe I’m playing life too safe, always worried about the consequences of my actions. In other words, I don’t want hell.
I just think that shutting down the “God-sense” in my brain will kill this life and the next. God help me if that ever happens.
Today's Reading: Deuteronomy 3-4 and Romans 1
One of the things that makes God such an interesting character is the fact that He is both consistent and non-consistent.
It is revealed in today’s reading in Deuteronomy, that God did what he did for the Hebrews because he wanted to show the Israelites that He is, in fact, God. He reminds the Israelites of where they have been, and then asking them if anyone else has ever done anything like what God has done.
Seriously, I can’t think of anyone either. I have to admit that I loved God’s hands-on approach as the Israelites, and I wouldn’t mind if God did that for me.
What is interesting is the reading in Romans today sort of gives a near-contrasting view of God. There seems to be idea in Romans that the wrath of God is reveal from heaven against all godlessness and wickedness. This doesn’t sound like the kind of revelation that was done by parting the Red Sea, as there is implication that the world can not really see the evidence of God.
Oddly enough, there are times that God just sort of backs off. Seriously, if someone wants to embrace sexual immorality, God will let them. In fact, He might make it easy for someone to get their sexual game on. I’m not certain why God just doesn’t put a block on everyone who wants to sin. Some may say that God is unfair, that he put a flaming sword around the Tree of Life after Adam ate from the Tree of Conscience. Why didn’t God just put the flaming sword around the Tree of Conscience in the first place?
Maybe because he actually values our free will. He values it so much that he is willing to let us sin, even though the consequences could be dire.
He does give us a conscience that is consciously aware that God is over the entire universe. If God puts that in everyone’s heart, then there must be some sort of door in our mind that we can shut and possibly lock if we want to ignore God.
I suppose that would mean that we wouldn’t have to put God in our hearts and minds at all. We could actually say, “nah, God’s not there”.
I must admit that I have never said that, and there have been times that I wanted to. The truth is that I can’t stand the idea of a world without God. Perhaps that makes me weak. Maybe I’m playing life too safe, always worried about the consequences of my actions. In other words, I don’t want hell.
I just think that shutting down the “God-sense” in my brain will kill this life and the next. God help me if that ever happens.
Friday, March 20, 2009
Curse of the people who think there is a curse
March 18, 2009
Today's Reading: Deuteronomy 1-2 and Acts 28
In the Book of Acts, Paul finds himself trapped on an island with a group of prisoners. I realize that sounds like a premise to either a real bad TV show or a real good one like Lost, but something happens that he never intended.
As he is going to get firewood, a snake appears on his arm. What that snake was doing in a pile of firewood? Who knows. Apparently, it was hard to spot, Paul carried it all the way before it revealed itself. It must have been have been a real lazy snake to, because it didn’t move until it was in the fire.
It was interesting to see how the people reacted to it. They simply said: “this man must be a murderer, and now justice has come for him”. I guess none of them are thinking: “Dang, we’d better get rid of that snake.”
It reminds me of when I saw the first televised shark attack. It started out with these guys ankle deep while sharks were swimming around. They were talking about sharks, and their conversation was pretty bland because they probably knew what was going to happen. Yeah, you guess it, the shark up and bit one of them.
What disturbs me is that the footage that we see isn’t the camera man dropping the camera and helping the bitten man. Instead, he goes in for a close-up, the selfish moron! Truly, he cared more about being the cameraman who gets the first televised shark attack than someone who needs to help someone in need.
This is so true for Christians who always think that they are thinking of the future and ignore the present. Remember back in the eighties, when AIDS was spreading, and Christians said things like “oh look, God is cursing the homosexuals with a disease for their sinful actions”.
Isn’t it just terrible when godly people assume the know the plan of God? It’s like we just assume that circumstances that happen are the result of sin. It’s like we didn’t learn from the book of Job.
Is it possible that we are supposed to learn from bad circumstances, and not a lesson that we should avoid them. True, there is negative consequences to actions, but just because something bad happens, doesn’t mean that we suck. We can’t assume that for other people, so we need to cut it out.
Today's Reading: Deuteronomy 1-2 and Acts 28
In the Book of Acts, Paul finds himself trapped on an island with a group of prisoners. I realize that sounds like a premise to either a real bad TV show or a real good one like Lost, but something happens that he never intended.
As he is going to get firewood, a snake appears on his arm. What that snake was doing in a pile of firewood? Who knows. Apparently, it was hard to spot, Paul carried it all the way before it revealed itself. It must have been have been a real lazy snake to, because it didn’t move until it was in the fire.
It was interesting to see how the people reacted to it. They simply said: “this man must be a murderer, and now justice has come for him”. I guess none of them are thinking: “Dang, we’d better get rid of that snake.”
It reminds me of when I saw the first televised shark attack. It started out with these guys ankle deep while sharks were swimming around. They were talking about sharks, and their conversation was pretty bland because they probably knew what was going to happen. Yeah, you guess it, the shark up and bit one of them.
What disturbs me is that the footage that we see isn’t the camera man dropping the camera and helping the bitten man. Instead, he goes in for a close-up, the selfish moron! Truly, he cared more about being the cameraman who gets the first televised shark attack than someone who needs to help someone in need.
This is so true for Christians who always think that they are thinking of the future and ignore the present. Remember back in the eighties, when AIDS was spreading, and Christians said things like “oh look, God is cursing the homosexuals with a disease for their sinful actions”.
Isn’t it just terrible when godly people assume the know the plan of God? It’s like we just assume that circumstances that happen are the result of sin. It’s like we didn’t learn from the book of Job.
Is it possible that we are supposed to learn from bad circumstances, and not a lesson that we should avoid them. True, there is negative consequences to actions, but just because something bad happens, doesn’t mean that we suck. We can’t assume that for other people, so we need to cut it out.
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
The Honor System
March 17, 2009
Today's Reading: Numbers 35-36 and Acts 27
Sometimes I wonder how far we have fallen. At one point in time, we lived without locks, bars on the windows, passwords, and contracts by lawyers. In other words, we had a sense of honor.
Look at the way law enforcement was done back in the time of the Israelites. They actually had a system to protect those who killed someone accidentally. I really can’t think of any system that we have like that now. I mean, I guess the closest that it comes to today is calling the cops if you accidentally killed someone. I think everyone would agree that is probably the correct action in that situation.
I have to admit, if there was a situation where I accidentally murdered someone, then the last thing I would want to do is call the cops. I mean, what if someone presses chargers, and my manslaughter charge gets switched to second-degree murder? Then it is off to prison, and I guess I’ll get to see if all those movies that take place in prison are true. You know, like in Shawshank Redemption: “I’d like to say that Andy fought. I would like to say that they beat them back. But prison is not a fairy-tale world.”
A culture in which a system is implemented to protect the unintentionally guilty is quite advanced, as it implies that the one who is guilty of a potential crime has the self-determination enough to turn him or herself in.
In Acts, there was a similar situation. Paul was on a ship, bound to be tried by Ceasar, and the boat makes a stop in Sidon. One of the men on the boat, Julius, allows Paul to get off the boat and say hello to his friends.
It doesn’t say whether Paul had to do this under armored guard. It doesn’t sound like there was a holding chamber with one of those two-way phone things that you see in movies. I’m guessing they just let Paul go off, and they actually got to see him again.
What the heck kind of society was this? I mean, Rome did some sick things back in the day, and yet this kind of honor system still existed.
These days, the honor system is still not dead. If I am working at a public library or coffee house, I can still go to the bathroom and not find that my portable computer has been stolen. Personally, I think that is a good sign that there is still good in the world, and it is worth fighting for. (Yeah, I took that from Lord of the Rings.)
Today's Reading: Numbers 35-36 and Acts 27
Sometimes I wonder how far we have fallen. At one point in time, we lived without locks, bars on the windows, passwords, and contracts by lawyers. In other words, we had a sense of honor.
Look at the way law enforcement was done back in the time of the Israelites. They actually had a system to protect those who killed someone accidentally. I really can’t think of any system that we have like that now. I mean, I guess the closest that it comes to today is calling the cops if you accidentally killed someone. I think everyone would agree that is probably the correct action in that situation.
I have to admit, if there was a situation where I accidentally murdered someone, then the last thing I would want to do is call the cops. I mean, what if someone presses chargers, and my manslaughter charge gets switched to second-degree murder? Then it is off to prison, and I guess I’ll get to see if all those movies that take place in prison are true. You know, like in Shawshank Redemption: “I’d like to say that Andy fought. I would like to say that they beat them back. But prison is not a fairy-tale world.”
A culture in which a system is implemented to protect the unintentionally guilty is quite advanced, as it implies that the one who is guilty of a potential crime has the self-determination enough to turn him or herself in.
In Acts, there was a similar situation. Paul was on a ship, bound to be tried by Ceasar, and the boat makes a stop in Sidon. One of the men on the boat, Julius, allows Paul to get off the boat and say hello to his friends.
It doesn’t say whether Paul had to do this under armored guard. It doesn’t sound like there was a holding chamber with one of those two-way phone things that you see in movies. I’m guessing they just let Paul go off, and they actually got to see him again.
What the heck kind of society was this? I mean, Rome did some sick things back in the day, and yet this kind of honor system still existed.
These days, the honor system is still not dead. If I am working at a public library or coffee house, I can still go to the bathroom and not find that my portable computer has been stolen. Personally, I think that is a good sign that there is still good in the world, and it is worth fighting for. (Yeah, I took that from Lord of the Rings.)
The Clip Show Edition
March 16, 2009
Today's Reading: Numbers 33-34 and Acts 26
There is nothing I hate more than a clip show. In case you are not an avid TV watcher like me, and don’t know what a clip show is, think about every time you were set to watch a new episode of your favorite television show, and it was some show that was a clip of past episodes.
I always hated those. I remember there was this episode of Family Ties where they sat around and told “Alex Stories”. I think there was an episode of the Cosby Show just like it. They told stories about their own family. Usually clip shows have some sort of weak story frame to them, and you’re probably only getting maybe ten minutes of new footage.
It’s like the studio said: “man, I’m just not in the mood to make a full episode. Let’s just film a little bit, and take some half days, and then we’ll edit it together and promise our viewers a new episodes”.
Why am I bringing this up? Because today’s reading in both Old and New Testament are clip shows. Yeah, Joshua talks about what stops he made along the way. And then in the book of Acts, Paul talks about what happened to him, telling him a story that we, the audience, already know. It’s a clip show, really.
So why do these clip shows happen? Probably because we need to see the big picture every once in a while. In fact, shows these days usually have this story-arc thing, and it is good to get a review once in a while. I know Lost has at least two shows a year devoted to just telling people what the heck is going on.
In Paul’s case, he had to tell Festus what was going on with his life. And Festus was saying: “oh, man, not another clip show”. No, I’m kidding. Still, Festus got to hear Paul’s extensive testimony.
And in the end, he got to see the big picture. It’s kind of funny, because Paul gets to say: I wish you were like me, except without the chains. All right, a clip show with an all new joke! What a payoff!
You know what you should do? Figure out what it would be like to have your own clip show. Personally, I have my own set of highlights. I’m not certain what sort of frame this would have. I guess if someone was going to ask me about my life, I would tell them this:
(Insert clips from past Irreverent Reverent Entries here.)
Today's Reading: Numbers 33-34 and Acts 26
There is nothing I hate more than a clip show. In case you are not an avid TV watcher like me, and don’t know what a clip show is, think about every time you were set to watch a new episode of your favorite television show, and it was some show that was a clip of past episodes.
I always hated those. I remember there was this episode of Family Ties where they sat around and told “Alex Stories”. I think there was an episode of the Cosby Show just like it. They told stories about their own family. Usually clip shows have some sort of weak story frame to them, and you’re probably only getting maybe ten minutes of new footage.
It’s like the studio said: “man, I’m just not in the mood to make a full episode. Let’s just film a little bit, and take some half days, and then we’ll edit it together and promise our viewers a new episodes”.
Why am I bringing this up? Because today’s reading in both Old and New Testament are clip shows. Yeah, Joshua talks about what stops he made along the way. And then in the book of Acts, Paul talks about what happened to him, telling him a story that we, the audience, already know. It’s a clip show, really.
So why do these clip shows happen? Probably because we need to see the big picture every once in a while. In fact, shows these days usually have this story-arc thing, and it is good to get a review once in a while. I know Lost has at least two shows a year devoted to just telling people what the heck is going on.
In Paul’s case, he had to tell Festus what was going on with his life. And Festus was saying: “oh, man, not another clip show”. No, I’m kidding. Still, Festus got to hear Paul’s extensive testimony.
And in the end, he got to see the big picture. It’s kind of funny, because Paul gets to say: I wish you were like me, except without the chains. All right, a clip show with an all new joke! What a payoff!
You know what you should do? Figure out what it would be like to have your own clip show. Personally, I have my own set of highlights. I’m not certain what sort of frame this would have. I guess if someone was going to ask me about my life, I would tell them this:
(Insert clips from past Irreverent Reverent Entries here.)
Monday, March 16, 2009
But it’s Okay here!
March 15, 2009
Today's Reading: Numbers 31-32 and Acts 25
I’m not certain when it ends. When I say “it”, I mean that constant state of discomfort that we always have, always longing for more. There are times where I wish that I had a million dollars, but I know that won’t be enough. Soon, I’ll want a billion dollars. And then, what’s next, the trillion?
If there is one thing I know about life, it’s that we always want more, and yet we want to rest at the same time. This dilemma was faced by some of the Israelites when they began to notice that the lands on their side of the Jordan were just as good as the ones in the Promised Land on the opposite side of the river.
So, these Reubenites and Gadites started some fields for their livestock. In other words, it looked like they were making to stay. Moses was pretty ticked when he heard about this. He pretty much tells them that he reminded them of the curse they were all under.
Eventually, an agreement was made saying that after the land has been taken, the men would come back and settle. That was probably the best they were going to here, I’m sure.
I don’t blame the Reubenites, Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manassah for wanting to settle. It’s not easy to be Nomadic. Especially when you are always going somewhere, but yet not going anywhere.
I suppose it is good that we want to settle. After all, if we want a family, then we want to give our kids some stability. The idea that they can sleep in their own bed, and other things that we call home.
However, this wasn’t how Jesus lived. He went from place to place, and never really “settled down” so to speak. Even after he was crucified , he didn’t just check into some hotel penthouse for his post-crucifixion stay. Honestly, that’s how I would spend it, because I think I had “deserved” it.
So when is it permitted for us to settle? I guess there is a time to go, and a time to stay. Part of it is learning to follow the cloud or the fire. It’s difficult to know that. I suppose a lot of it is trying to figure out which way God is pointing.
Still, we do live like nomads. In other words, I suppose that we are always in motion, but sometimes we go slower than other times.
I guess when we get to heaven we’ll rest. I’m guessing probably not, or we end up like a bored kid on summer vacation. In other words, we’ll probably have things to do in heaven, but the only difference between now and thereafter is that we will have an eternity to do it.
Today's Reading: Numbers 31-32 and Acts 25
I’m not certain when it ends. When I say “it”, I mean that constant state of discomfort that we always have, always longing for more. There are times where I wish that I had a million dollars, but I know that won’t be enough. Soon, I’ll want a billion dollars. And then, what’s next, the trillion?
If there is one thing I know about life, it’s that we always want more, and yet we want to rest at the same time. This dilemma was faced by some of the Israelites when they began to notice that the lands on their side of the Jordan were just as good as the ones in the Promised Land on the opposite side of the river.
So, these Reubenites and Gadites started some fields for their livestock. In other words, it looked like they were making to stay. Moses was pretty ticked when he heard about this. He pretty much tells them that he reminded them of the curse they were all under.
Eventually, an agreement was made saying that after the land has been taken, the men would come back and settle. That was probably the best they were going to here, I’m sure.
I don’t blame the Reubenites, Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manassah for wanting to settle. It’s not easy to be Nomadic. Especially when you are always going somewhere, but yet not going anywhere.
I suppose it is good that we want to settle. After all, if we want a family, then we want to give our kids some stability. The idea that they can sleep in their own bed, and other things that we call home.
However, this wasn’t how Jesus lived. He went from place to place, and never really “settled down” so to speak. Even after he was crucified , he didn’t just check into some hotel penthouse for his post-crucifixion stay. Honestly, that’s how I would spend it, because I think I had “deserved” it.
So when is it permitted for us to settle? I guess there is a time to go, and a time to stay. Part of it is learning to follow the cloud or the fire. It’s difficult to know that. I suppose a lot of it is trying to figure out which way God is pointing.
Still, we do live like nomads. In other words, I suppose that we are always in motion, but sometimes we go slower than other times.
I guess when we get to heaven we’ll rest. I’m guessing probably not, or we end up like a bored kid on summer vacation. In other words, we’ll probably have things to do in heaven, but the only difference between now and thereafter is that we will have an eternity to do it.
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Vow Time!
March 14, 2009
Today's Reading: Numbers 29-30 and Acts 24
Numbers starts out with a nice thing to say: “When a man makes a vow to the Lord or takes an oath to obligate himself by a pledge, he must not break his word but must do everything he said”.
Okay, I would be very surprised that anyone has this amount of integrity when making any sort of vow. I myself have made a marital vow that I take very seriously. Because of that, there is no way I will put myself in certain situations, and make certain to maintain that my marriage is sound.
I also vow to my children that I will be a good father. That means a lot of good quality time with them, and also making certain my marriage is sound.
However, there are some vows that I take that I don’t really care about. Sometimes, I say I will do something, and I just don’t do it. It’s not that I just like to make empty promises, but I usually mean it when I make the promise. In fact, I’m certain that if someone were to put me on a lie detector test when I made the promise, I’m sure I would register positive.
What if every promise I made, I had to keep. Man, that would be crazy. Let’s try and think about this. What if every time that I didn’t keep one of my vows, some sort of “Promise Cop” would come by and smack me silly.
Of course, I don’t really see a point in going on about the whole “Keep Your Promises” thing. After all, I think we all know that most people don’t keep their promises. In fact, I have a problems when I work with businesses, and they say: “We’ll call you later today”. Usually, I have translated that to say: “I will have to call you later in order because you neglected to when you said you would”.
I remember one time I called some business, and I was actually quite surprised that they actually called me back when they said they would.
You know, keeping a vow can actually make it tough to do things. Take Paul, when he is on trial. His trial gets more bogged down then OJ’s trial. I am betting the people who were trying Paul probably cursed the power of due process.
So, what is a vow? It’s a promise that you make, and you keep it. Imagine if every vow we said was like this.
Today's Reading: Numbers 29-30 and Acts 24
Numbers starts out with a nice thing to say: “When a man makes a vow to the Lord or takes an oath to obligate himself by a pledge, he must not break his word but must do everything he said”.
Okay, I would be very surprised that anyone has this amount of integrity when making any sort of vow. I myself have made a marital vow that I take very seriously. Because of that, there is no way I will put myself in certain situations, and make certain to maintain that my marriage is sound.
I also vow to my children that I will be a good father. That means a lot of good quality time with them, and also making certain my marriage is sound.
However, there are some vows that I take that I don’t really care about. Sometimes, I say I will do something, and I just don’t do it. It’s not that I just like to make empty promises, but I usually mean it when I make the promise. In fact, I’m certain that if someone were to put me on a lie detector test when I made the promise, I’m sure I would register positive.
What if every promise I made, I had to keep. Man, that would be crazy. Let’s try and think about this. What if every time that I didn’t keep one of my vows, some sort of “Promise Cop” would come by and smack me silly.
Of course, I don’t really see a point in going on about the whole “Keep Your Promises” thing. After all, I think we all know that most people don’t keep their promises. In fact, I have a problems when I work with businesses, and they say: “We’ll call you later today”. Usually, I have translated that to say: “I will have to call you later in order because you neglected to when you said you would”.
I remember one time I called some business, and I was actually quite surprised that they actually called me back when they said they would.
You know, keeping a vow can actually make it tough to do things. Take Paul, when he is on trial. His trial gets more bogged down then OJ’s trial. I am betting the people who were trying Paul probably cursed the power of due process.
So, what is a vow? It’s a promise that you make, and you keep it. Imagine if every vow we said was like this.
Saturday, March 14, 2009
Is an Apology Necessary?
March 13, 2009
Today's Reading: Numbers 27-28 and Acts 23
There was an odd passage today in the reading of the Book of Acts. The Sanhedrin was questioning Paul about his newfound faith, and the high priest Ananias was getting so ticked off with Paul that he strikes him.
Actually, he doesn’t do it himself, he says: “Okay, that does it. Somebody smack him, please?”
As it were, someone did smack him, and Paul responded in the same way that I probably would: “God will strike you, you whitewashed wall!”. Okay, I probably wouldn’t have said that. I probably would have said something to the extent of: “What, you don’t have the courage to hit me yourself?” or “Oh, I’m sorry, did I offend you by breaking the law? So now you will break the law again by smacking me? Who’s the frickin’ hypocrite here?”
Well, as it turns out, the guy who hit Paul wasn’t just some flunky, which would be my first assumption. No, this guy was a high priest too.
The weirdest thing is that Paul replies with “Brothers, I did not realize that he was the high priest; for it is written: ‘Do not speak evil about the ruler of your people’”
This is not the response I would have given, I would have said: “I don’t care who the frick he is. Nobody is going to be slappin’ me like that.”
In other words, Paul seems rather apologetic, when it doesn’t seem like he has done a single thing wrong. This would seem to be contrary to how a lot of people would behave, including Christians.
However, isn’t this true humility? The idea that we would apologize when we have been struck is just really sick to me. In fact, I can’t even stand the idea, so much so, that I would never apologize when I was wronged.
This is the problem when Christians try to stand out, make a difference. Inevitably, they will face hostile resistance, and so they will resist in turn. I would imagine that we live in the horrendous product of this dichotomy.
What if we, as Christians, just let ourselves be stifled, executed, or all out wiped out? I suppose that would we the end of us. Or would it? They killed Jesus, and he came back. Perhaps we could survive some other way.
Note my use of the word “perhaps”. It really takes faith to know that something about us will survive even after we die. Worst Case Scenerio, this is what would happen if we resisted resistance.
Today's Reading: Numbers 27-28 and Acts 23
There was an odd passage today in the reading of the Book of Acts. The Sanhedrin was questioning Paul about his newfound faith, and the high priest Ananias was getting so ticked off with Paul that he strikes him.
Actually, he doesn’t do it himself, he says: “Okay, that does it. Somebody smack him, please?”
As it were, someone did smack him, and Paul responded in the same way that I probably would: “God will strike you, you whitewashed wall!”. Okay, I probably wouldn’t have said that. I probably would have said something to the extent of: “What, you don’t have the courage to hit me yourself?” or “Oh, I’m sorry, did I offend you by breaking the law? So now you will break the law again by smacking me? Who’s the frickin’ hypocrite here?”
Well, as it turns out, the guy who hit Paul wasn’t just some flunky, which would be my first assumption. No, this guy was a high priest too.
The weirdest thing is that Paul replies with “Brothers, I did not realize that he was the high priest; for it is written: ‘Do not speak evil about the ruler of your people’”
This is not the response I would have given, I would have said: “I don’t care who the frick he is. Nobody is going to be slappin’ me like that.”
In other words, Paul seems rather apologetic, when it doesn’t seem like he has done a single thing wrong. This would seem to be contrary to how a lot of people would behave, including Christians.
However, isn’t this true humility? The idea that we would apologize when we have been struck is just really sick to me. In fact, I can’t even stand the idea, so much so, that I would never apologize when I was wronged.
This is the problem when Christians try to stand out, make a difference. Inevitably, they will face hostile resistance, and so they will resist in turn. I would imagine that we live in the horrendous product of this dichotomy.
What if we, as Christians, just let ourselves be stifled, executed, or all out wiped out? I suppose that would we the end of us. Or would it? They killed Jesus, and he came back. Perhaps we could survive some other way.
Note my use of the word “perhaps”. It really takes faith to know that something about us will survive even after we die. Worst Case Scenerio, this is what would happen if we resisted resistance.
Just What Does This Idiot Think He's Doing?
March 12, 2009
Today's Reading: Numbers 25-26 and Proverbs 21
The Bible that I am reading entitles the first part of Numbers 25 as “Moab Seduces Israel”. I guess that title is good enough, but it was nice to see that Phinehas son of Eleazar was not so easily bent.
Apparently, the blessing that Balaam had given the Israelites worked too well. Not only had they conquered the men of Midian, but they were working on the women as well. I can’t help but think that they were doing something like hitting Midianite bars, or something like that.
I guess the Midianite women must have been really buxom, as the Israelites were drawn like a bee to a flower. I don’t know if it was the married ones or unmarried ones, but it really doesn’t matter. Eventually, the sexual immorality was so fulfilling to them that they soon bowed down before the Midianite gods.
You can imagine that God was not too pleased. The people also heard, and began to weep in front of the tent of meeting.
Then this one guy, who the Bible doesn’t give us a name, goes and brings his Midianite woman right in front of them. I honestly don’t know what this guy’s agenda was, honestly.
Was this some way to protest what was going on? Did he mean to show that he was doing something that irritated God, right in front of all the people and priests. If so, he could have done a better job. He could have stood up and proclaimed what he was doing, in some gesture of defiance.
Or did this guy really not see or hear all the people weeping in front of the temple for the sin he was clearly doing? Was he so caught up with this woman that he forgot where he was. Well, if so, then I would have to say he was clearly in love or terribly in lust.
Anyway, you know how the story ends. The guy dies for his woman, and she dies too. It’s kind of like Romeo and Juliet, but they both get it at the same time. That would have been a pretty grand statement.
However, this man really lives like we do. Going by from day to day, not certain why he does it, only that he does it. If he really wanted to defy the Israelite and God’s law, he could have told everyone what he was doing. As it is, he did something and thought no one was watching. Sadly, he got some very unintended consequences.
Don’t live life like this. Don’t just do something and expect it to be right. And if you do the wrong thing, at least have the courage to stand up and proclaim that you are doing the wrong thing. Just be prepared for the consequences.
Today's Reading: Numbers 25-26 and Proverbs 21
The Bible that I am reading entitles the first part of Numbers 25 as “Moab Seduces Israel”. I guess that title is good enough, but it was nice to see that Phinehas son of Eleazar was not so easily bent.
Apparently, the blessing that Balaam had given the Israelites worked too well. Not only had they conquered the men of Midian, but they were working on the women as well. I can’t help but think that they were doing something like hitting Midianite bars, or something like that.
I guess the Midianite women must have been really buxom, as the Israelites were drawn like a bee to a flower. I don’t know if it was the married ones or unmarried ones, but it really doesn’t matter. Eventually, the sexual immorality was so fulfilling to them that they soon bowed down before the Midianite gods.
You can imagine that God was not too pleased. The people also heard, and began to weep in front of the tent of meeting.
Then this one guy, who the Bible doesn’t give us a name, goes and brings his Midianite woman right in front of them. I honestly don’t know what this guy’s agenda was, honestly.
Was this some way to protest what was going on? Did he mean to show that he was doing something that irritated God, right in front of all the people and priests. If so, he could have done a better job. He could have stood up and proclaimed what he was doing, in some gesture of defiance.
Or did this guy really not see or hear all the people weeping in front of the temple for the sin he was clearly doing? Was he so caught up with this woman that he forgot where he was. Well, if so, then I would have to say he was clearly in love or terribly in lust.
Anyway, you know how the story ends. The guy dies for his woman, and she dies too. It’s kind of like Romeo and Juliet, but they both get it at the same time. That would have been a pretty grand statement.
However, this man really lives like we do. Going by from day to day, not certain why he does it, only that he does it. If he really wanted to defy the Israelite and God’s law, he could have told everyone what he was doing. As it is, he did something and thought no one was watching. Sadly, he got some very unintended consequences.
Don’t live life like this. Don’t just do something and expect it to be right. And if you do the wrong thing, at least have the courage to stand up and proclaim that you are doing the wrong thing. Just be prepared for the consequences.
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Getting What's Coming to You
March 11, 2009
Today's Reading: Numbers 23-24 and Proverbs 20
Imagine if there was an interior decorator who was the classiest in the world. He could make Martha fricking Stewart want to lace herself.
Let’s say he refuses to do it no matter what price you offer him. Not even a million dollars.
Then, all of a sudden, you get a ring from the cellular phone, and the interior decorator has had some sort of odd change of heart. They sound like they would be honored to do your home.
So you invite him over, and go over color styles, and whatnot. The meeting goes great, and you feel like you really see eye-to-eye.
Then interior decorator is then ready to begin. However, instead of using the paints and colors you agreed on, he takes out ketchup and smears it all over the walls and furniture.
“What the hell!” You say.
The interior decorator then says something to the extent of: “Sorry, but I need to sort of clear the air. Now I know exactly what needs to be improved, namely everything. Let me go again.”
Since everything has to be completely redone anyway, you agree. You hope to see the interior decorator removing the wallpaper, or painting over the stains, but instead, he has made them even worse. This time, he has chosen to use mustard!
“Okay, that’s enough,” you’d say, “you’re fired. You are responsible for restoring this to its original form.”
“Fine,” he says, “I will do it myself.”
The interior decorator then gets out a rag, and it looks as if he intends to use it to wipe away the stains. Instead, without you knowing it, he pours ink onto his rag, and makes it so the stains are completely permanent. Nothing short of replacing the drywall is going to improve anything now.
“What is wrong with you!” You scream.
“What is wrong with you?” The interior decorator says back. “I told you that I wouldn’t work for you no matter what you paid me. Did you not believe me?”
This is precisely the situation Balak found himself in when he used Balaam. He paid for a blessing, but instead got a curse. Balaam had already told him that he wouldn’t work for him no matter what he offered, and so Balak got what he paid for.
Today's Reading: Numbers 23-24 and Proverbs 20
Imagine if there was an interior decorator who was the classiest in the world. He could make Martha fricking Stewart want to lace herself.
Let’s say he refuses to do it no matter what price you offer him. Not even a million dollars.
Then, all of a sudden, you get a ring from the cellular phone, and the interior decorator has had some sort of odd change of heart. They sound like they would be honored to do your home.
So you invite him over, and go over color styles, and whatnot. The meeting goes great, and you feel like you really see eye-to-eye.
Then interior decorator is then ready to begin. However, instead of using the paints and colors you agreed on, he takes out ketchup and smears it all over the walls and furniture.
“What the hell!” You say.
The interior decorator then says something to the extent of: “Sorry, but I need to sort of clear the air. Now I know exactly what needs to be improved, namely everything. Let me go again.”
Since everything has to be completely redone anyway, you agree. You hope to see the interior decorator removing the wallpaper, or painting over the stains, but instead, he has made them even worse. This time, he has chosen to use mustard!
“Okay, that’s enough,” you’d say, “you’re fired. You are responsible for restoring this to its original form.”
“Fine,” he says, “I will do it myself.”
The interior decorator then gets out a rag, and it looks as if he intends to use it to wipe away the stains. Instead, without you knowing it, he pours ink onto his rag, and makes it so the stains are completely permanent. Nothing short of replacing the drywall is going to improve anything now.
“What is wrong with you!” You scream.
“What is wrong with you?” The interior decorator says back. “I told you that I wouldn’t work for you no matter what you paid me. Did you not believe me?”
This is precisely the situation Balak found himself in when he used Balaam. He paid for a blessing, but instead got a curse. Balaam had already told him that he wouldn’t work for him no matter what he offered, and so Balak got what he paid for.
God the Drama King
March 10, 2009
Today's Reading: Numbers 21-22 and Acts 22
In Numbers 21, we learn that if you disobey the Lord by complaining, God will send snakes to kill you. In Numbers 22, we learn that if you obey the Lord by going where he wants you to go, God will send an Angel of Death to kill you.
Don’t believe me? Read Numbers 22:20. God specifically told Balaam to go with the Princes of Moab, and when he actually does it, guess what, God sends an Angel to block his path.
Now, why would God send an angel to kill Balaam when he was, in fact, following His will? There was that clause that said “but do only what I tell you”. So far as I know, Balaam wasn’t pulling a Jonah here. He was going the right direction as far as I can tell.
I’m also thinking that Balaam’s donkey was the one from Shrek, because it spoke. It may not have been as gregarious as Eddie Murphy, but spoke nonetheless. I love how it takes the second line from this jackass to get this other jackass to realize what is up.
So why did God use this animal and an angel. To get this man, Balaam’s attention, presumably. After all, if you read what Balaam was doing, he was apparently blessing certain sides, and cursing them as well.
How was he doing this? Balaam didn’t serve the Hebrew God. He may not have even heard of the Hebrew God until the princes of Moab came a-visitin’.
I guess God had to tell Balaam what is up, in a majorly dramatic way. Thank God he got his attention.
Perhaps we live with a God who values drama. Look at Paul in today’s reading of Acts. He is on trial, about to be thrown in the barracks (a non-fancy word for “prison”). He then decides to use the time to share his testimony, which succeeds at getting a crowd that is already mad at him even madder.
I suppose Paul could have just said: “hey, I’m a Roman citizen, y’all”, but he waits to play that Roman Citizen card until just the last minute. Classic! Does he know how to be the actor, or what?
Yeah, God loves using a little drama to tell us where we are at. And if he wants to make it so we are in a situation where we disobey and we die or obey and we die, that is his business as the chief playwright. However, God isn’t the creepy playwright who secretly wishes a painful death for all his main characters. No, he is divining an ending that is works for everybody, but it might involve some points of high drama. Consider it suspense.
Today's Reading: Numbers 21-22 and Acts 22
In Numbers 21, we learn that if you disobey the Lord by complaining, God will send snakes to kill you. In Numbers 22, we learn that if you obey the Lord by going where he wants you to go, God will send an Angel of Death to kill you.
Don’t believe me? Read Numbers 22:20. God specifically told Balaam to go with the Princes of Moab, and when he actually does it, guess what, God sends an Angel to block his path.
Now, why would God send an angel to kill Balaam when he was, in fact, following His will? There was that clause that said “but do only what I tell you”. So far as I know, Balaam wasn’t pulling a Jonah here. He was going the right direction as far as I can tell.
I’m also thinking that Balaam’s donkey was the one from Shrek, because it spoke. It may not have been as gregarious as Eddie Murphy, but spoke nonetheless. I love how it takes the second line from this jackass to get this other jackass to realize what is up.
So why did God use this animal and an angel. To get this man, Balaam’s attention, presumably. After all, if you read what Balaam was doing, he was apparently blessing certain sides, and cursing them as well.
How was he doing this? Balaam didn’t serve the Hebrew God. He may not have even heard of the Hebrew God until the princes of Moab came a-visitin’.
I guess God had to tell Balaam what is up, in a majorly dramatic way. Thank God he got his attention.
Perhaps we live with a God who values drama. Look at Paul in today’s reading of Acts. He is on trial, about to be thrown in the barracks (a non-fancy word for “prison”). He then decides to use the time to share his testimony, which succeeds at getting a crowd that is already mad at him even madder.
I suppose Paul could have just said: “hey, I’m a Roman citizen, y’all”, but he waits to play that Roman Citizen card until just the last minute. Classic! Does he know how to be the actor, or what?
Yeah, God loves using a little drama to tell us where we are at. And if he wants to make it so we are in a situation where we disobey and we die or obey and we die, that is his business as the chief playwright. However, God isn’t the creepy playwright who secretly wishes a painful death for all his main characters. No, he is divining an ending that is works for everybody, but it might involve some points of high drama. Consider it suspense.
Monday, March 9, 2009
On a technicality
March 9, 2009
Today's Reading: Numbers 19-20 and Acts 21
Today's Reading: Numbers 19-20 and Acts 21
I don’t know what it is with God doing things that I would never do. Here’s the scene: God obviously wants the people to have water, and for some odd reason, he puts all the water in a rock at Meribah.
He could have made it rain, but instead he uses Moses to get it. It’s not like God hasn’t asked Moses to do that before. Unfortunately, Moses must have tossed the instruction booklet, because Moses didn’t really do what God said.
Now, I think it is odd that in spite of the fact that Moses didn’t follow this instructions, the punishment seemed a little extreme. If I were God, I would just simply not make the water come out.
Of course, here’s God’s response: “Hey, you know that Promised Land that I promised you, well you can forget it”. I’m sure Moses was saying things like: “Lord, come on, it was just one time with the striking of the rock. I did the whole
Or maybe he didn’t complain about it at all. I guess I would have because I just don’t see the punishment fitting the crime on this one.
Is it possible that there is a spirit of things. It is not about whether you disobey the little or big things, but whether you obey, period. So it is not about speaking or striking a rock, but whatever God wants you to do.
So in other words, Moses didn’t get to enter the promise land due to some sort of technicality. Sucks, doesn’t it?
I wonder what else can keep you from the promised land. I’m sure it is just a little thing that is holding me back. It reminds me of this pallet jack that I used to haul around back when I worked at Wal-Mart. Yeah, I used to work at Wally World.
Anyway, if a tiny piece of gravel got caught on the wheel, and I couldn’t drag that stupid pallet jack to save my life. Once you got the piece of gravel, it was quite easy to move that big thing.
I’ve always noticed how God wants to remove that little speck, but it is the worst to get rid of. Sometimes that little speck, if not removed, will cause a complete downfall. Time to get the speck out, otherwise you can lose the kingdom on a technicality.
Sunday, March 8, 2009
Wake up from Church
March 8, 2009
Today's Reading: Numbers 17-18 and Acts 20
You ever fall asleep in church? Yeah, I’ve done that a few times. I can proudly say that it is because I was up late the night before, not because the speaker was boring, but that has happened on occasion.
The Book of Acts describes a man named Eutychus who was sitting by the window, who “was sinking into a deep sleep as Paul talked on and on”. He eventually succumbed to his sleep, and he fell three stories to his death.
Hopefully Paul did not wait until he was finished speaking before he raised him from the dead. I would hope that Pastors would not turn to the rest of the audience and say: “that’s what you get for falling asleep during my message”. In all honesty, that is always my fear when I fall asleep during a sermon, that the preacher is going to spotlight me. As far as I know, that has never happened.
It is so easy to ignore the miracle of this boy rising from the dead, and focus on the Christian faux-pas that he committed by falling asleep in church. I suppose that Eutychus is probably not feeling pretty good that he has gone down in history as the one who fell asleep during Paul’s sermon.
I wonder if that was on his mind when he passed away (the first time). “Oh terrific, I fell asleep in church and died. Oh, God is going to be so ticked at me. I hope he lets me in to heaven in spite of this.” Fortunately, God was merciful, and allowed the narcoleptic boy a second chance. Actually, even if God hadn’t chosen him to be raised from the dead, I’m pretty sure God would have allowed this man access.
However, Christians probably wouldn’t have. I wonder how long Eutychus had to hear: “hey, you going to go to sleep today” or some other creative form like “did you bring a pillow today, Eutychus”.
Ah, Christian people, they just love to joke around. Have you ever noticed how addicted they are to their own customs? I am willing to bet you that if this happened today in churches, its members would probably overreact. They would probably handcuff this guy to the window pane, “for his own protection, in case it happens again”. The result would be this man’s own humiliation, and not humility.
It is amazing how much Christianity is complicated by customs within it. Do you realize that all we need to do is just live for God. What does it matter what we look like, or what we do, provided it is not sin.
Do you want to be free? Start by not caring what other Christians think, but what God thinks.
Today's Reading: Numbers 17-18 and Acts 20
You ever fall asleep in church? Yeah, I’ve done that a few times. I can proudly say that it is because I was up late the night before, not because the speaker was boring, but that has happened on occasion.
The Book of Acts describes a man named Eutychus who was sitting by the window, who “was sinking into a deep sleep as Paul talked on and on”. He eventually succumbed to his sleep, and he fell three stories to his death.
Hopefully Paul did not wait until he was finished speaking before he raised him from the dead. I would hope that Pastors would not turn to the rest of the audience and say: “that’s what you get for falling asleep during my message”. In all honesty, that is always my fear when I fall asleep during a sermon, that the preacher is going to spotlight me. As far as I know, that has never happened.
It is so easy to ignore the miracle of this boy rising from the dead, and focus on the Christian faux-pas that he committed by falling asleep in church. I suppose that Eutychus is probably not feeling pretty good that he has gone down in history as the one who fell asleep during Paul’s sermon.
I wonder if that was on his mind when he passed away (the first time). “Oh terrific, I fell asleep in church and died. Oh, God is going to be so ticked at me. I hope he lets me in to heaven in spite of this.” Fortunately, God was merciful, and allowed the narcoleptic boy a second chance. Actually, even if God hadn’t chosen him to be raised from the dead, I’m pretty sure God would have allowed this man access.
However, Christians probably wouldn’t have. I wonder how long Eutychus had to hear: “hey, you going to go to sleep today” or some other creative form like “did you bring a pillow today, Eutychus”.
Ah, Christian people, they just love to joke around. Have you ever noticed how addicted they are to their own customs? I am willing to bet you that if this happened today in churches, its members would probably overreact. They would probably handcuff this guy to the window pane, “for his own protection, in case it happens again”. The result would be this man’s own humiliation, and not humility.
It is amazing how much Christianity is complicated by customs within it. Do you realize that all we need to do is just live for God. What does it matter what we look like, or what we do, provided it is not sin.
Do you want to be free? Start by not caring what other Christians think, but what God thinks.
Evil People Believe They Do the Right Thing
March 7, 2009
Today's Reading: Numbers 15-16 and Acts 19
In the movies, the villains are always the ones who do evil for evil’s sake. It’s always funny to see James Bond villains have these huge master plans to conquer the world of commerce, when the villain could just invest their money wisely and get the same amount of financial gain.
Yes, we would like to believe that all people who do evil do it because they are looking for some sort of thrill. I suppose that it is our duty as Christians to deny them that thrill so they can see the wonders of heaven.
The truth is, a lot of people who do evil think they are doing it for the right reason. I’m sure that Hitler probably thought he was doing the world a favor when he sent Jews to the concentration camps. I’m certain the Khmer Rouge thought similar things with their genocide. The various mass slaughters in Bosnia, Rwanda, and Darfur are probably based on someone who is probably under the belief the he is down the right thing.
This was most certain the point of view of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram. I’m sure they probably thought Moses was a real tyrant, and they had to dispose of him or he would lead the people to their doom. I can’t help but wonder what side I would have been on if I had been there.
Would I have gone with the three and ended up swallowed up by the Earth? Would I have weighed all options before taking a side, or would I have gone with whatever crowd is convenient for me.
I think all of us believe that we are doing the right thing, even if we are not certain that we are. Sometimes the consequences are a little more than we would want to face.
Take the Jews as they were trying to exorcise a demon out of someone. The seven sons of Sceva apparently decided to give the Christian method a try, but it is clear their heart was not in it. I’m sure they probably thought they were doing the right thing, but they ended up running away, naked and bleeding. You know, I really don’t want to know how one evil spirit could get seven naked and bleeding, and that is one scene that I would probably speed through during the movie version.
So how do we know we are doing the right thing? We don’t. The issue is what happens after we do the “right” thing.
Today's Reading: Numbers 15-16 and Acts 19
In the movies, the villains are always the ones who do evil for evil’s sake. It’s always funny to see James Bond villains have these huge master plans to conquer the world of commerce, when the villain could just invest their money wisely and get the same amount of financial gain.
Yes, we would like to believe that all people who do evil do it because they are looking for some sort of thrill. I suppose that it is our duty as Christians to deny them that thrill so they can see the wonders of heaven.
The truth is, a lot of people who do evil think they are doing it for the right reason. I’m sure that Hitler probably thought he was doing the world a favor when he sent Jews to the concentration camps. I’m certain the Khmer Rouge thought similar things with their genocide. The various mass slaughters in Bosnia, Rwanda, and Darfur are probably based on someone who is probably under the belief the he is down the right thing.
This was most certain the point of view of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram. I’m sure they probably thought Moses was a real tyrant, and they had to dispose of him or he would lead the people to their doom. I can’t help but wonder what side I would have been on if I had been there.
Would I have gone with the three and ended up swallowed up by the Earth? Would I have weighed all options before taking a side, or would I have gone with whatever crowd is convenient for me.
I think all of us believe that we are doing the right thing, even if we are not certain that we are. Sometimes the consequences are a little more than we would want to face.
Take the Jews as they were trying to exorcise a demon out of someone. The seven sons of Sceva apparently decided to give the Christian method a try, but it is clear their heart was not in it. I’m sure they probably thought they were doing the right thing, but they ended up running away, naked and bleeding. You know, I really don’t want to know how one evil spirit could get seven naked and bleeding, and that is one scene that I would probably speed through during the movie version.
So how do we know we are doing the right thing? We don’t. The issue is what happens after we do the “right” thing.
Why is it that no one will listen?
March 6, 2009
Today's Reading: Numbers 13-14 and Acts 18
Today is one of the only sections in Numbers that I really remember, the story of the twelve spies. Calling them spies is sort of like comparing their mission to something out of an over-the-top espionage movie like Mission Impossible.
In this case, the mission was not successful, not because anyone was caught or killed, but because they chickened out. Is there any wonder why the Senator wanted to disavow their actions.
It’s hard to believe that after all the Israelites had seen, with the parting of the Red Sea and everything else, that they would be afraid of giants. I wonder just how big these giants were to get them all scared. Out of twelve spies, ten of them reported that the giants in the land were so big that we are like grasshoppers.
I always called the ten fearful spies the journalists of the group. The ones that most of the world listens to, who are the first ones to say how much doom and gloom are on our horizon. Considering the state of our economy, a lot of people are listening to the voices of their worst possible fears.
Sure, there were two who said what the Lord had in mind, but sadly, no one listened. The same thing happened to Paul as he tried to preach the Jews in Macedonia. All Paul was trying to do is help people get to know Christ.
I would love to think that I would be one of those who would listen. That I wouldn’t be one those who would have great fears of giants, who would be willing to face giants instead of running from them. However, I would also have to say that I’m probably more apt to follow the crowd and listen to the stupid not-so-silent majority.
Have you ever been the one in the minority, who is trying to tell people that they shouldn’t or should do something, and they go ahead and do it anyway? That is always a tough position to be in. It’s like being Jeremiah, and no one will listen.
Part of that frustration is that we feel like we have no say in the matter, that powerful people who do powerful things will always just do what they do. I refuse to believe that is real. The whole world is swayed by small things. And we who are to warn the majority are not responsible for the majority, but just to warn.
Today's Reading: Numbers 13-14 and Acts 18
Today is one of the only sections in Numbers that I really remember, the story of the twelve spies. Calling them spies is sort of like comparing their mission to something out of an over-the-top espionage movie like Mission Impossible.
In this case, the mission was not successful, not because anyone was caught or killed, but because they chickened out. Is there any wonder why the Senator wanted to disavow their actions.
It’s hard to believe that after all the Israelites had seen, with the parting of the Red Sea and everything else, that they would be afraid of giants. I wonder just how big these giants were to get them all scared. Out of twelve spies, ten of them reported that the giants in the land were so big that we are like grasshoppers.
I always called the ten fearful spies the journalists of the group. The ones that most of the world listens to, who are the first ones to say how much doom and gloom are on our horizon. Considering the state of our economy, a lot of people are listening to the voices of their worst possible fears.
Sure, there were two who said what the Lord had in mind, but sadly, no one listened. The same thing happened to Paul as he tried to preach the Jews in Macedonia. All Paul was trying to do is help people get to know Christ.
I would love to think that I would be one of those who would listen. That I wouldn’t be one those who would have great fears of giants, who would be willing to face giants instead of running from them. However, I would also have to say that I’m probably more apt to follow the crowd and listen to the stupid not-so-silent majority.
Have you ever been the one in the minority, who is trying to tell people that they shouldn’t or should do something, and they go ahead and do it anyway? That is always a tough position to be in. It’s like being Jeremiah, and no one will listen.
Part of that frustration is that we feel like we have no say in the matter, that powerful people who do powerful things will always just do what they do. I refuse to believe that is real. The whole world is swayed by small things. And we who are to warn the majority are not responsible for the majority, but just to warn.
Saturday, March 7, 2009
So Amazing, that no one is happy!
March 5, 2009
Today's Reading: Numbers 11-12 and Proverbs 19
I found this clip of a comedian named Louis CK on Kevin Kelly’s website. You can watch it there, but Louis has some interesting things to say about human nature and technology.
Isn’t it amazing what you can do now that you couldn’t do ten years ago! Remember when only the rich had cellular phones, and internet was all dial up? I still remember having to make a phone call, only to hear the loud screech on the other end.
Now we have high-speed Internet on airplanes! Louis CK talks about how this one guy he was flying with got upset because the wireless Internet went down. Like the world owes something that he only found out ten minutes ago.
Why aren’t we impressed with the fact that we can fly in the first place? Think what it would be like for Moses if they had that?
No, the people in Moses’ day had even greater miracles beyond technology, but what did they do? Complain, of course. If you read the book of Exodus, you will find that Chapter 15 begins with a hymn of praise to the parting of the Red Sea, but ends with them complaining that the water is too bitter.
Hey, be thankful that you even have water, and that you are out of slavery. No wonder why God got frustrated and started raining fire on them by the book of Numbers.
I mean, they were complaining that they were sick of manna. Food that was given by God to help them survive in the desert, and they wanted the free food that they had in Egypt.
As if they could go back to Egypt and be welcomed with open arms! It is amazing how quickly we long for things when they are removed from us. Even more amazing how quickly we completely ignore the blessings that we already have.
Do you realize that if we lived in Moses’ day, we would have to sacrifice animals to get sin forgiven. Before Martin Luther, people actually believed that they needed to pay to get themselves out of Purgatory. Now, we just do a quick confession, and Christ’s blood covers everything.
The age we live in! Not only do we get the best of technology, but the best of Christianity as well. How easy it is to do what we want, and what God wants. Show a little gratitude for that!
Today's Reading: Numbers 11-12 and Proverbs 19
I found this clip of a comedian named Louis CK on Kevin Kelly’s website. You can watch it there, but Louis has some interesting things to say about human nature and technology.
Isn’t it amazing what you can do now that you couldn’t do ten years ago! Remember when only the rich had cellular phones, and internet was all dial up? I still remember having to make a phone call, only to hear the loud screech on the other end.
Now we have high-speed Internet on airplanes! Louis CK talks about how this one guy he was flying with got upset because the wireless Internet went down. Like the world owes something that he only found out ten minutes ago.
Why aren’t we impressed with the fact that we can fly in the first place? Think what it would be like for Moses if they had that?
No, the people in Moses’ day had even greater miracles beyond technology, but what did they do? Complain, of course. If you read the book of Exodus, you will find that Chapter 15 begins with a hymn of praise to the parting of the Red Sea, but ends with them complaining that the water is too bitter.
Hey, be thankful that you even have water, and that you are out of slavery. No wonder why God got frustrated and started raining fire on them by the book of Numbers.
I mean, they were complaining that they were sick of manna. Food that was given by God to help them survive in the desert, and they wanted the free food that they had in Egypt.
As if they could go back to Egypt and be welcomed with open arms! It is amazing how quickly we long for things when they are removed from us. Even more amazing how quickly we completely ignore the blessings that we already have.
Do you realize that if we lived in Moses’ day, we would have to sacrifice animals to get sin forgiven. Before Martin Luther, people actually believed that they needed to pay to get themselves out of Purgatory. Now, we just do a quick confession, and Christ’s blood covers everything.
The age we live in! Not only do we get the best of technology, but the best of Christianity as well. How easy it is to do what we want, and what God wants. Show a little gratitude for that!
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Sin Brings Disgrace
March 4, 2009
Today's Reading: Numbers 9-10 and Proverbs 18
I know I’ve said this before, but I would love to see Israel during the time of Moses. The idea that you could see God’s miracles on a daily basis seems rather appealing to me. Especially when there is a pillar of cloud by day, and a pillar of fire by night.
I think I might have talked earlier about the glory of God and what it is, and how we probably don’t really know what it truly is. We often use these as visual examples of what glory is.
I would love to just be there just for that. I would follow wherever those pillars of fire or cloud were going just to say that I was close to God.
Of course, most of our lives are spent doing work that we do not like to get barely enough money to live our lives. That’s just the mundane-ness of existence, but also the complete immorality of it.
It is really sad how most of our lives living in the end product of original sin. Much of what we go through is because those before us left us a sucky legacy. A lot of people have been complaining that our current crappy economy is the result of idiots spending money on things they can’t afford.
It always brings me back to Proverbs 18:3, a verse that reads: “When wickedness comes, so does contempt, and with shame comes disgrace.” I remember when I was reading this version of the Living bible that summarized it with three simple words: “sin brings disgrace”.
The first time I read those three words, God was doing a lot in my life. I remember that I had just wrecked a relationship with a girl I had been going out with for a month or so. I realize that there are a lot of readers who might be more interested in that tangent, but that’s because you are freaks.
I’d rather not go into details about a tangent, but what it showed me was that eventually the works of my life catch up to me, and that all I was doing was just living in the fruits of my sins and that of others. The end result was a bad taste in my mouth and a burdensome feeling that had I died back then, I would have gone straight to hell.
Fortunately, stuff started to happen that caused my life to get back on track. I suppose this is the closest that I have shared on this blog as far as my testimony is concerned.
If you need some takeaway value from this, let me lay it on you in three simple words: sin brings disgrace.
Today's Reading: Numbers 9-10 and Proverbs 18
I know I’ve said this before, but I would love to see Israel during the time of Moses. The idea that you could see God’s miracles on a daily basis seems rather appealing to me. Especially when there is a pillar of cloud by day, and a pillar of fire by night.
I think I might have talked earlier about the glory of God and what it is, and how we probably don’t really know what it truly is. We often use these as visual examples of what glory is.
I would love to just be there just for that. I would follow wherever those pillars of fire or cloud were going just to say that I was close to God.
Of course, most of our lives are spent doing work that we do not like to get barely enough money to live our lives. That’s just the mundane-ness of existence, but also the complete immorality of it.
It is really sad how most of our lives living in the end product of original sin. Much of what we go through is because those before us left us a sucky legacy. A lot of people have been complaining that our current crappy economy is the result of idiots spending money on things they can’t afford.
It always brings me back to Proverbs 18:3, a verse that reads: “When wickedness comes, so does contempt, and with shame comes disgrace.” I remember when I was reading this version of the Living bible that summarized it with three simple words: “sin brings disgrace”.
The first time I read those three words, God was doing a lot in my life. I remember that I had just wrecked a relationship with a girl I had been going out with for a month or so. I realize that there are a lot of readers who might be more interested in that tangent, but that’s because you are freaks.
I’d rather not go into details about a tangent, but what it showed me was that eventually the works of my life catch up to me, and that all I was doing was just living in the fruits of my sins and that of others. The end result was a bad taste in my mouth and a burdensome feeling that had I died back then, I would have gone straight to hell.
Fortunately, stuff started to happen that caused my life to get back on track. I suppose this is the closest that I have shared on this blog as far as my testimony is concerned.
If you need some takeaway value from this, let me lay it on you in three simple words: sin brings disgrace.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
To the Unknown God
March 3, 2009
Today's Reading: Numbers 7-8 and Acts 17
When Paul arrived for a meeting at Aeropagus, he saw that there was a lot of idols around him. Oddly enough, Paul was not at all offended or upset by this in any way. He even said the opposite of what most Christians would say when he stated: “I see that in every way you are very religious”.
He even brought up the fact that there was an idol site labeled: To An Unknown God. In all honesty, I’m not certain what would prompt someone to erect a monument to that which you don’t know yet, but perhaps it is thinking ahead. After all, I’m sure there were other religions that had yet to be found by that point in time. In comparison, the Greek Gods were quite young in relation to the ones of the Egyptians. Perhaps the one who had made this memorial to all things enigmatic might have wanted to get a jump on things when it came to the birth of new faiths.
That, or perhaps it is a statement about human nature. You see, we humans really do live by what we can see, feel, taste, hear, or touch. Most people have some innate sense that there is some higher power controlling that which we cannot, but they do not know exactly what it is.
Have you ever seen the ending of Men In Black? The whole film was about chasing a galaxy that was the size of a marble, and, as it turns out, our galaxy is about the size of a marble to a giant (I can’t even think of a word to describe how giant this is) alien. Apparently, Earth is just one speck of a planet in a tiny marble.
I remember when I first saw that final image from that film, I, like any other Christian, just said “no way”. After all, if this were reality, then there probably isn’t a God, unless He is even more gigantic (again, this isn’t close to the right word used to describe this) than this alien.
The truth is, we honestly don’t know what really is out there in space, and it is too infinite in its scale to really ever know it. God is very much the same way, there are things about Him that will always be unknown, at least in this lifetime.
I guess it make sense to embrace the unknown, but not just erecting a monument to it. The whole point of a mystery is to solve it, no matter how much time it takes. So, really, if you don’t know who your God is, get on it!
Today's Reading: Numbers 7-8 and Acts 17
When Paul arrived for a meeting at Aeropagus, he saw that there was a lot of idols around him. Oddly enough, Paul was not at all offended or upset by this in any way. He even said the opposite of what most Christians would say when he stated: “I see that in every way you are very religious”.
He even brought up the fact that there was an idol site labeled: To An Unknown God. In all honesty, I’m not certain what would prompt someone to erect a monument to that which you don’t know yet, but perhaps it is thinking ahead. After all, I’m sure there were other religions that had yet to be found by that point in time. In comparison, the Greek Gods were quite young in relation to the ones of the Egyptians. Perhaps the one who had made this memorial to all things enigmatic might have wanted to get a jump on things when it came to the birth of new faiths.
That, or perhaps it is a statement about human nature. You see, we humans really do live by what we can see, feel, taste, hear, or touch. Most people have some innate sense that there is some higher power controlling that which we cannot, but they do not know exactly what it is.
Have you ever seen the ending of Men In Black? The whole film was about chasing a galaxy that was the size of a marble, and, as it turns out, our galaxy is about the size of a marble to a giant (I can’t even think of a word to describe how giant this is) alien. Apparently, Earth is just one speck of a planet in a tiny marble.
I remember when I first saw that final image from that film, I, like any other Christian, just said “no way”. After all, if this were reality, then there probably isn’t a God, unless He is even more gigantic (again, this isn’t close to the right word used to describe this) than this alien.
The truth is, we honestly don’t know what really is out there in space, and it is too infinite in its scale to really ever know it. God is very much the same way, there are things about Him that will always be unknown, at least in this lifetime.
I guess it make sense to embrace the unknown, but not just erecting a monument to it. The whole point of a mystery is to solve it, no matter how much time it takes. So, really, if you don’t know who your God is, get on it!
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Give all, plus twenty percent more
March 2nd, 2009
Today's Reading: Numbers 5-6 and Acts 16
There seems to be this idea in the Bible of how to treat someone that you wronged. Apparently, if you steal from someone, you are supposed to give it back, along with a fifth of what it is worth. So, if you stole one hundred dollars, you’d have to give that back with twenty of your own.
Of course, someone who steals one hundred dollars probably didn’t have twenty dollars of their own in the first place, so how is it that they can properly restore the one that they have wronged? Back then, the only way was to literally sell yourself as property.
Isn’t it amazing that we all start out with nothing but what our parents give us, and after we “leave the nest”, most of us start with nothing once more. (Especially since some of us come from homes where our parents fail us, and then we make it worse by borrowing money at high interest rates for financial aid for college.)
My point is that if God demands that we make restitution by restoring all plus twenty percent, where does He expect that twenty percent to come from, exactly? We can’t just pull it out of the air.
That’s God for you, giving us a standard that is always higher than us, so we have to learn to fly in order to get it. I suppose it wouldn’t be a miracle if that wasn’t the case.
It reminds me of a scene from the book Uncle Tom’s Cabin, where the slave-owner’s family was discussing a lesson they learned in church about how slavery is all just and right. The slave-owner, who didn’t believe in God, stated that “if I wanted to believe in that, I would believe in something above me, not below me”.
That isn’t an exact quote, as it’s been a while since I read Miss Stowe’s work. The point is that we can’t assume that human goodness is enough. There will always be a little extra “umph” required to make us godly, otherwise all we are doing is striving to be human, which is hardly an uphill climb.
Athletes always talk about giving their one hundred (insert number to make the value higher than one hundred here) percent. There is of course no way this can be done, and is another reason why I hate sports clichés like this. I guess what they are trying to say is that in order to do something amazing, they have to be more than they can be. To push it beyond the limit, as it were.
It really is impossible without Christ.
Today's Reading: Numbers 5-6 and Acts 16
There seems to be this idea in the Bible of how to treat someone that you wronged. Apparently, if you steal from someone, you are supposed to give it back, along with a fifth of what it is worth. So, if you stole one hundred dollars, you’d have to give that back with twenty of your own.
Of course, someone who steals one hundred dollars probably didn’t have twenty dollars of their own in the first place, so how is it that they can properly restore the one that they have wronged? Back then, the only way was to literally sell yourself as property.
Isn’t it amazing that we all start out with nothing but what our parents give us, and after we “leave the nest”, most of us start with nothing once more. (Especially since some of us come from homes where our parents fail us, and then we make it worse by borrowing money at high interest rates for financial aid for college.)
My point is that if God demands that we make restitution by restoring all plus twenty percent, where does He expect that twenty percent to come from, exactly? We can’t just pull it out of the air.
That’s God for you, giving us a standard that is always higher than us, so we have to learn to fly in order to get it. I suppose it wouldn’t be a miracle if that wasn’t the case.
It reminds me of a scene from the book Uncle Tom’s Cabin, where the slave-owner’s family was discussing a lesson they learned in church about how slavery is all just and right. The slave-owner, who didn’t believe in God, stated that “if I wanted to believe in that, I would believe in something above me, not below me”.
That isn’t an exact quote, as it’s been a while since I read Miss Stowe’s work. The point is that we can’t assume that human goodness is enough. There will always be a little extra “umph” required to make us godly, otherwise all we are doing is striving to be human, which is hardly an uphill climb.
Athletes always talk about giving their one hundred (insert number to make the value higher than one hundred here) percent. There is of course no way this can be done, and is another reason why I hate sports clichés like this. I guess what they are trying to say is that in order to do something amazing, they have to be more than they can be. To push it beyond the limit, as it were.
It really is impossible without Christ.
Monday, March 2, 2009
Can we all get along, please?
March 1, 2009
Today's Reading: Numbers 3-4 and Acts 15
I never did like arguments, and the worst ones take place amongst Christians. In all honesty, I prefer disagreements amongst worldly people. At least they just go for the person with the better argument, but Christians, oh man, both sides say they got the will of God on their side.
One of the first arguments was this idea that you had to be circumcised in order to be saved. Only a male-dominated society would even consider this option. I wonder if they even cared whether the women were saved with this stupid doctrine.
I mean, seriously, was there going to be someone who was going to check if (insert very obvious male genital joke here). Yeah, that is pretty sick, but this is one of those times where I’m just not going to make a joke because it is too easy. Good comedy requires creativity, and this cow’s udders are way to swollen for my taste. Give me something that takes a little effort, please!
Oddly enough, this was one controversy in the Christian faith that was actually settled. Now, if we could just tackle the whole issue of baptism, confession, Holy Spirit outpouring, and the countless other issues that still plague Christians today. Yeah, all Peter had to do was just stand up and say, “hey, let’s do this”. And then it was confirmed by Scripture. That was all. Go figure!
Man, if only we could settle our disagreements that easily! I think it is interesting that the group who could settle such a controversy could not settle something so little. I am, of course, referring to this disagreement between Paul and Barnabas about Mark. Paul apparently didn’t think Mark was worth it, because he apparently deserted them in Pamphylia. I wonder what the heck Mark was doing that was so important? They make it sound like it was an act of cowardice.
Anyway, Mark deserted them for reasons unknown, and for some unknown reason, Paul and Barnabas decided that this disagreement was sufficient enough for them to part company.
You know, why is it that people in the church can’t get together without some sort of disagreement? I mean, we’re supposed to be the salt of the earth, not the pepper of mixture. Okay, that metaphor sucked, but you see my point: we flipping argue too much.
Man, that Rodney King had something when he said: “Can’t we all get along”. The answer the church is giving is a flat-out no. Sad, really.
Today's Reading: Numbers 3-4 and Acts 15
I never did like arguments, and the worst ones take place amongst Christians. In all honesty, I prefer disagreements amongst worldly people. At least they just go for the person with the better argument, but Christians, oh man, both sides say they got the will of God on their side.
One of the first arguments was this idea that you had to be circumcised in order to be saved. Only a male-dominated society would even consider this option. I wonder if they even cared whether the women were saved with this stupid doctrine.
I mean, seriously, was there going to be someone who was going to check if (insert very obvious male genital joke here). Yeah, that is pretty sick, but this is one of those times where I’m just not going to make a joke because it is too easy. Good comedy requires creativity, and this cow’s udders are way to swollen for my taste. Give me something that takes a little effort, please!
Oddly enough, this was one controversy in the Christian faith that was actually settled. Now, if we could just tackle the whole issue of baptism, confession, Holy Spirit outpouring, and the countless other issues that still plague Christians today. Yeah, all Peter had to do was just stand up and say, “hey, let’s do this”. And then it was confirmed by Scripture. That was all. Go figure!
Man, if only we could settle our disagreements that easily! I think it is interesting that the group who could settle such a controversy could not settle something so little. I am, of course, referring to this disagreement between Paul and Barnabas about Mark. Paul apparently didn’t think Mark was worth it, because he apparently deserted them in Pamphylia. I wonder what the heck Mark was doing that was so important? They make it sound like it was an act of cowardice.
Anyway, Mark deserted them for reasons unknown, and for some unknown reason, Paul and Barnabas decided that this disagreement was sufficient enough for them to part company.
You know, why is it that people in the church can’t get together without some sort of disagreement? I mean, we’re supposed to be the salt of the earth, not the pepper of mixture. Okay, that metaphor sucked, but you see my point: we flipping argue too much.
Man, that Rodney King had something when he said: “Can’t we all get along”. The answer the church is giving is a flat-out no. Sad, really.
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