A guy and his 5 year oldish son were in my line. The guy handed his son a book and said, "hold your book." I looked at the book and saw cartoon animals and symbols, the animals and symbols looked kinda Japanese. I asked the dad sortof jokingly, "Is he learning Japanese?"
Dad guy answered, "Yes, actually he is. His grandma is Japanese."
I said, "He should be able to learn it starting out this young."
"Right. I only wish I could learn it"
My mind went through thoughts about the plasticity of the young mind and how children can learn languages more readily than adults, because that's what their brains are wired to do at that age, and it's just not as easy for adults to learn new languages because they already have well worn paths in the language section of their brains. And I blurted out, "But your brain doesn't work right." Excellent.
Then my mind raced through do-something-you-idiot mode. I thought, I don't think they sell those books at Barnes & Noble. So I asked the guy, "Where did you get the book?"
And he told me that he has family in Tokyo and they mailed him the book and he said that they have really crazy stuff in Japan like cell phones the size of a pen.
Later at work, I saw a guy with a denim shirt with a clerical collar, and it made me think of Real Live Preacher, because he has one, too. I wondered for a second if it could be him, but then I realized that it wasn't because that guy didn't look like any picture of RLP, Gordon, that I have seen on the site.
This reminds me of a customer at work who I have seen a couple of times (a week ago and a couple of days ago). He wears black pants, black shirt with the clerical collar, a black vest, and a big fat crucifix. I was sliding his groceries along the scanner, and there was the big ol' cross with a guy on it hanging around an old guy's neck. He was a friendly old man. He had an accent. British I thought. So I figured he must be Anglican. I felt like talking to him, so I thought of the most original, creative thing I could, "So you're a minister."
"A Priest," he corrected me, as if it was an insult to call him a minister. Yikes, I didn't know. I knew not to call him "a Pastor" but I thought "minister" would be OK. Then he added, "An Anglican Priest."
You weren't supposed to tell me! I was gonna guess and impress you. I'll show you anyway, "Yeah, that's what I figured because of your accent. British, right."
"Close. Australian"
ooookaaaay. "Not really even close." Guess I'm not gonna be impressing you much.
A coworker and I had a break at the same time today. This coworker is also a classmate, and a friend and a PK (Pastor's Kid). I think she's curious about what I believe about Torah and whatnot, and I think she thinks I'm a little wacko. We should really talk about the Bible sometime. That's something I've noticed, all these spiritual people don't really discuss scripture much, instead they talk about what the lord told them. But I digress. The coworkerstudentPKgirl asked me about work today, like how long I had been there. I worked all day today 9:30am-7:30pm.
"Don't you feel bad about that [working instead of going to church on sunday morning]?" she asked.
"No. It's not like it's the Sabbath." (I'm such a snot)
"But that's not how you were raised."
"I wasn't raised Muslim either." Really, this is why I prefer writing to talking. When I talk, I sound so weird. The Muslim comment made no sense unless you could read my mind. I was thinking about how if someone was raised Muslim and then converted to Christianity, this girl would not be saying the same thing (i.e. "Do you feel bad about not praying to Allah 5 times a day?" "That's not how you were raised"). I don't think I'm explaining it very well. I'm just weird.
Then she asked, "If you were back home would you go to church?"
I think I answered with a "maybe." It doesn't make much difference. I would go to church back home to see friends from the past. I've seen church (as in the sunday morning church service) as pretty whack for much longer than I've observed Sabbath and all that. My apathy towards the sunday morning church service is not a result of observing the 7th day Sabbath and stuff.
I would much rather hang out with a community of believers (why can't I find one on this Christian university campus) and discuss scripture and spirituality with them. I have some friends on campus, but it's so hard to talk about God. And when we do, they get all weird. I guess I'm weird too. I dunno.
Sunday, March 13, 2005
Friday, March 11, 2005
A break?
It's Spring Break. So I'll be working more hours at Central Market and at my practicum site.
I was thinking the other day, Mr. Bean would definitely be a customer at Central Market.
Today is the birthday of Beautiful Joy. Happy Birthday!
I was thinking the other day, Mr. Bean would definitely be a customer at Central Market.
Today is the birthday of Beautiful Joy. Happy Birthday!
Tuesday, March 08, 2005
thrice
Tame the Tongue
Today I heard evil tongue. Jesus and James talked about our words. The rabbis also talk about the power of speech.
Saying something negative about someone else is called lashan hara. This is not just lying about someone. It is even saying something true but negative. Lashan hara kills three people. The speaker, the listener and the one being spoken about. If the speaker or the listener is the one being spoken about it is still dangerous. (I know of four people who have definitely been hurt by the words of this one person.)
Now there are some cases where it is necessary to say something negative about someone. For instance, if someone poses a threat, the person in danger needs to be warned. But then there is no need to go telling people who have no involvement in the matter.
Words are powerful. God created the world with words. Humans also have the ability to create with words. Once a word is spoken, it is filled with power that can bring life and death.
Before you say something harmful about someone else, stop and think about whether or not you need to say it. You probably don’t. We might not have much to talk about if we’re not bashing other people, maybe we should work on that.
Coincidence?
Today I left my backpack in the cafeteria. I got to my room and realized I had to go back and get it. Outside the cafeteria I saw Robert, the other guy on campus who believes somewhat like me. We talked for a few minutes. I now know where he lives, but I don’t have his number. I’m sure I’ll bump into him again.
Wish You Were Here
I’m so stinkin busy. On the days when I’m not busy I feel stressed because I keep thinking that there should be somewhere I need to go within the hour. Every once in a while, when I’m not focusing on what I’m doing right now and what I’m going to be doing next, I think about people that I know. But I don’t get to do this very often. I want to keep in contact with the people that I know and care about. I wonder if she’s still on the other part of the world, and where in America she is, and what he’s doing, and what he’s pondering now. I gotta make time for emailing and phone calling.
Today I heard evil tongue. Jesus and James talked about our words. The rabbis also talk about the power of speech.
Saying something negative about someone else is called lashan hara. This is not just lying about someone. It is even saying something true but negative. Lashan hara kills three people. The speaker, the listener and the one being spoken about. If the speaker or the listener is the one being spoken about it is still dangerous. (I know of four people who have definitely been hurt by the words of this one person.)
Now there are some cases where it is necessary to say something negative about someone. For instance, if someone poses a threat, the person in danger needs to be warned. But then there is no need to go telling people who have no involvement in the matter.
Words are powerful. God created the world with words. Humans also have the ability to create with words. Once a word is spoken, it is filled with power that can bring life and death.
Before you say something harmful about someone else, stop and think about whether or not you need to say it. You probably don’t. We might not have much to talk about if we’re not bashing other people, maybe we should work on that.
Coincidence?
Today I left my backpack in the cafeteria. I got to my room and realized I had to go back and get it. Outside the cafeteria I saw Robert, the other guy on campus who believes somewhat like me. We talked for a few minutes. I now know where he lives, but I don’t have his number. I’m sure I’ll bump into him again.
Wish You Were Here
I’m so stinkin busy. On the days when I’m not busy I feel stressed because I keep thinking that there should be somewhere I need to go within the hour. Every once in a while, when I’m not focusing on what I’m doing right now and what I’m going to be doing next, I think about people that I know. But I don’t get to do this very often. I want to keep in contact with the people that I know and care about. I wonder if she’s still on the other part of the world, and where in America she is, and what he’s doing, and what he’s pondering now. I gotta make time for emailing and phone calling.
Monday, March 07, 2005
No, it's MY birthday.
So Wild. Today I met someone who's been on earth the exact same amount of time as me, give or take a few hours.
That's strange in and of itself, but the odds of that happening are mindblowing (unless I had a twin).
I met him by selling him beer. Now it's already unlikely that two people with the same birthdate, down to the year, would be in the same building.
He had like 8 cashiers to choose from and he came to my line.
He could have gone to the express line. I wasn't even working express.
He was buying beer, so I had to card him. That's how I found out that we have the exact same birthday. If he wasn't buying alcohol we never would have known.
I sold him the beer 5 minutes before I got off work. A matter of minutes and I might not have met him.
His name is Zack. His birthday is the same as mine. I'll probably never even see him again. But WOW.
That's strange in and of itself, but the odds of that happening are mindblowing (unless I had a twin).
I met him by selling him beer. Now it's already unlikely that two people with the same birthdate, down to the year, would be in the same building.
He had like 8 cashiers to choose from and he came to my line.
He could have gone to the express line. I wasn't even working express.
He was buying beer, so I had to card him. That's how I found out that we have the exact same birthday. If he wasn't buying alcohol we never would have known.
I sold him the beer 5 minutes before I got off work. A matter of minutes and I might not have met him.
His name is Zack. His birthday is the same as mine. I'll probably never even see him again. But WOW.
Why Not Remember?
Today is the Feast of Perpetua and her Companions. We're in between the Feasts of Valentine and Patrick. Why don't we have some way of remembering these martyrs? Read the second link above.
It is also the anniversary of a Bloody Sunday in Alabama. Take a minute to read the above link and think about the brutality and sacrifice that was displayed just forty years ago today.
It is also the anniversary of a Bloody Sunday in Alabama. Take a minute to read the above link and think about the brutality and sacrifice that was displayed just forty years ago today.
Sunday, March 06, 2005
TWIRP'd
Tonight I went on a TWIRP (The Woman Is Required to Pay) date. It was a “blind twirp” for everyone except Joy and me. She set up four of her girl friends with four guys, and we all went out as a group. I suggested one of the couples, and I’m sure most of the group would agree they were the best match.
The guys all got mysterious notes. We met at the fountain at 8 pm. Then a group of girls came. With a row of guys and a row of girls standing there it looked and felt like a reality show. They stood anxiously waiting to be paired up. One of the guys didn’t show. Phil, my roomate, and I ran and grabbed another guy to come along with us.
So we all paired up and went to Starbucks. Our group of 11 (a sixth girl came along) busted into Starbucks at the same as another smaller group, and the “baristas” (which I learned today is Italian for bartender) were freaked out. The oldest barista asked quite rudely, “Where are you all from?” It was just kinda scary the way she asked it. We hung around the Corporate Monster Cloned Coffee house long after our overpriced unextraordinary drinks and desserts were finished. We were going to possibly do some other things like go to a drive in, ice skate or go bowling, but after Starbucks we went to a house and talked and played Cranium.
Before the date I was in my room singing “Love Me Do” by the Beatles. I stuck in the CD that Wonderful Joy bought me and listened to it. During Cranium, one of the Humdingers was “Love Me Do.” And then at the end of the night we all listened to the song.
It was a super-fantastic night. My girlfriend rocks.
The guys all got mysterious notes. We met at the fountain at 8 pm. Then a group of girls came. With a row of guys and a row of girls standing there it looked and felt like a reality show. They stood anxiously waiting to be paired up. One of the guys didn’t show. Phil, my roomate, and I ran and grabbed another guy to come along with us.
So we all paired up and went to Starbucks. Our group of 11 (a sixth girl came along) busted into Starbucks at the same as another smaller group, and the “baristas” (which I learned today is Italian for bartender) were freaked out. The oldest barista asked quite rudely, “Where are you all from?” It was just kinda scary the way she asked it. We hung around the Corporate Monster Cloned Coffee house long after our overpriced unextraordinary drinks and desserts were finished. We were going to possibly do some other things like go to a drive in, ice skate or go bowling, but after Starbucks we went to a house and talked and played Cranium.
Before the date I was in my room singing “Love Me Do” by the Beatles. I stuck in the CD that Wonderful Joy bought me and listened to it. During Cranium, one of the Humdingers was “Love Me Do.” And then at the end of the night we all listened to the song.
It was a super-fantastic night. My girlfriend rocks.
Friday, March 04, 2005
And he gathered
I recently heard someone’s definitions of religion and spirituality. I’m not quoting him exactly, but. Religion or going to church is not what you do to experience or worship God. It is a gathering of individuals who have similar spirituality. Spirituality is a person’s daily private encounters with God. Spirituality is private prayer, a life of worship and an ongoing inner communion with God. Religion is where these individuals get together and symbolically express their spirituality. For example, worship songs are symbols of love for and recognition of God (words are symbols), baptism and communion are symbols. These, along with sermons and testimonies (words are symbols), are expressions of what the person has already experienced personally (spirituality).
Moses gathered together the congregation, then he re-commanded sabbath yet again. Then he commanded whoever had a willing heart to bring gifts for work on the tabernacle. They brought more than enough. As I was reading Exodus 35, I was reminded of what Paul wrote to the Corinthians concerning their giving. When we decide to give/do something for someone else, we ought to carry it out. I like to give when it’s of my own initiative, I don’t like being forced or coerced into giving. I think that most people are the same way.
Spirituality is very important. Without it, religion would be worthless. But religion is also very important. A building is non-existent without the individual stones that make it up.
Today I met someone on campus who believes similar to me. Viva community.
Moses gathered together the congregation, then he re-commanded sabbath yet again. Then he commanded whoever had a willing heart to bring gifts for work on the tabernacle. They brought more than enough. As I was reading Exodus 35, I was reminded of what Paul wrote to the Corinthians concerning their giving. When we decide to give/do something for someone else, we ought to carry it out. I like to give when it’s of my own initiative, I don’t like being forced or coerced into giving. I think that most people are the same way.
Spirituality is very important. Without it, religion would be worthless. But religion is also very important. A building is non-existent without the individual stones that make it up.
Today I met someone on campus who believes similar to me. Viva community.
Monday, February 28, 2005
blogalittle and some good writing
I should follow Black Country Christian's lead and blog more often.
I've been really busy, but I don't have a lot to write about. Work was fun today, because I was in a good mood.
I think I'm going to eat a coconut tonight.
OK. If you want to read some good writing, read this two part story by Real Live Preacher called "Came Grief and Compassion." Here's part one and part two.
I've been really busy, but I don't have a lot to write about. Work was fun today, because I was in a good mood.
I think I'm going to eat a coconut tonight.
OK. If you want to read some good writing, read this two part story by Real Live Preacher called "Came Grief and Compassion." Here's part one and part two.
Thursday, February 24, 2005
Today at work
It felt like I was at work forever. I was only there for 4 hours. I think that's the shortest possible shift, maybe 3 hours is. But as soon as I got there I wanted to leave. I checked the clock every 3 or 4 minutes which helped make those hours drag on and on.
So a woman wanted to buy some flowers. The stems were wet and they were loosely wrapped in little plastic sleeves. She handed me the flowers and I tried to scan the bar-code. But those little lines wouldn't scan. I tilted the flowers this way and that trying to find an angle and distance at which it would scan. Just before I was about to move on to more drastic measures, such as typing in the bar-code numbers, I heard a bleep. So I finished checking her order. "Thank you, have a nice day, yadda yadda yadda."
Then I looked down. I don't remember which I noticed first; the small puddle of water on the counter, or the relatively big spot of water on my pants. Those stinking flowers! The placement was perfect. My little brother couldn't have placed a better wet spot on my pants.
I grabbed a paper towel and wiped off the counter, and I helped the next customer. But I didn't dare step out from behind my one and a half foot wide counter of protection. I think she saw it though. She smiled. I think my face felt warm.
"Thank you. Come again." I knelt down behind the counter and scrubbed my pants furiously with a paper towel. And of course I had to decide to wear khakis today. I usually wear jeans, and the spot wouldn't have been as noticeable on jeans. But no.
A pleasant lady pushed her cart up and said, "You look like you need something to do." (No I don't! I'm definitely doing something right now!)
I stood up and scanned her groceries. She smiled. Sure customers smile all the time. But she was inwardly laughing at me. I just know it.
I had been wondering what I should do. Should I call a manager and explain what happened and get permission to go clean up? I finished with her and switched of the register light and walked quickly up to the bathroom. Grabbed some paper towels and used friction and absorption to dry my pants.
My pants dried and I finished the four hours. I don't think any of my coworkers saw the spot. So I wont be mocked unless they happen to read this. Not likely.
Stupid flowers.
So a woman wanted to buy some flowers. The stems were wet and they were loosely wrapped in little plastic sleeves. She handed me the flowers and I tried to scan the bar-code. But those little lines wouldn't scan. I tilted the flowers this way and that trying to find an angle and distance at which it would scan. Just before I was about to move on to more drastic measures, such as typing in the bar-code numbers, I heard a bleep. So I finished checking her order. "Thank you, have a nice day, yadda yadda yadda."
Then I looked down. I don't remember which I noticed first; the small puddle of water on the counter, or the relatively big spot of water on my pants. Those stinking flowers! The placement was perfect. My little brother couldn't have placed a better wet spot on my pants.
I grabbed a paper towel and wiped off the counter, and I helped the next customer. But I didn't dare step out from behind my one and a half foot wide counter of protection. I think she saw it though. She smiled. I think my face felt warm.
"Thank you. Come again." I knelt down behind the counter and scrubbed my pants furiously with a paper towel. And of course I had to decide to wear khakis today. I usually wear jeans, and the spot wouldn't have been as noticeable on jeans. But no.
A pleasant lady pushed her cart up and said, "You look like you need something to do." (No I don't! I'm definitely doing something right now!)
I stood up and scanned her groceries. She smiled. Sure customers smile all the time. But she was inwardly laughing at me. I just know it.
I had been wondering what I should do. Should I call a manager and explain what happened and get permission to go clean up? I finished with her and switched of the register light and walked quickly up to the bathroom. Grabbed some paper towels and used friction and absorption to dry my pants.
My pants dried and I finished the four hours. I don't think any of my coworkers saw the spot. So I wont be mocked unless they happen to read this. Not likely.
Stupid flowers.
Wednesday, February 23, 2005
22305
I discovered Yahoo! Calendar. Well, actually, I didn't discover it. I was shown it. It's been a tab in my mailbox the whole time. Why didn't I ever think to use it before? Now I can finally see how busy I actually am.
I recently started my practicum for my counseling degree. Three days a week I hang around at a Counseling Center that works mostly, but not exclusively, with recovering adicts. I attend group therapy sessions and the weekly staff meeting and I sort papers. I'm enjoying it so far for the most part. I probably wont talk about it much on here for ethical/confidentiality reasons.
I'm still tutoring at uni (I think that's some sort o' british type slang for university. Black Country Boy can clear it up for ya in the comments if he wants) in the Achievement Center. But I'm only tutoring on Tuesday and Thursday mornings. I have one student each of those mornings.
And I've been working at Central Market. Yipee!
Tonight I went to Bible study at Olive Tree, the place I go on Saturdays. I just think it's so cool how Bill, the leader/teacher guy, lets the kids interupt any time. No matter how weird, off topic, and silly their question or comment may seem and no matter how long it takes for them to spit the words out, he listens and responds with respect. I think that's very cool.
I thought this was going to be a more interesting and not as generalized post, but now it is what it is and I gotta go and my brain is turning to mush and my roomate's talking to me about his My Little Pony.
I recently started my practicum for my counseling degree. Three days a week I hang around at a Counseling Center that works mostly, but not exclusively, with recovering adicts. I attend group therapy sessions and the weekly staff meeting and I sort papers. I'm enjoying it so far for the most part. I probably wont talk about it much on here for ethical/confidentiality reasons.
I'm still tutoring at uni (I think that's some sort o' british type slang for university. Black Country Boy can clear it up for ya in the comments if he wants) in the Achievement Center. But I'm only tutoring on Tuesday and Thursday mornings. I have one student each of those mornings.
And I've been working at Central Market. Yipee!
Tonight I went to Bible study at Olive Tree, the place I go on Saturdays. I just think it's so cool how Bill, the leader/teacher guy, lets the kids interupt any time. No matter how weird, off topic, and silly their question or comment may seem and no matter how long it takes for them to spit the words out, he listens and responds with respect. I think that's very cool.
I thought this was going to be a more interesting and not as generalized post, but now it is what it is and I gotta go and my brain is turning to mush and my roomate's talking to me about his My Little Pony.
Tuesday, February 22, 2005
In finite
LORD, compassionate, gracious, abounding in love is undefinable. Moses wanted to see the glory of I AM, but such infinite being would penetrate every aspect of Moses. The finite time and space occupied by Moses would be obliterated.
Moses would later go on to infinite time and space, unbound. And so will we. But we must not forget that we are in eternity now. Eternity, without beginning or end, includes now. You are in the presence of the omnipresent God now. Our time on earth is but a vapor in eternity, each moment of our brief earthly existence is relatively significant. If my life-span on earth was a million years, then one day would not be as significant as in a life-span of only a few years.
The infinitely infinite God is interested in the finite. He created this finite time-space world. The universe seems so huge, why should God care about me? But he does. The infinite stooped down and took six days to make this world. The infinite meddled with the finite creation and stooped down to the level of going one-on-one with Pharaoh, he decided to use the descendants of one man for his universal plan. The infinite became a finite human man living on this earth for only 33 years, so that we can have eternal rest after our finite existence takes on its ultimate infinite form.
Through Sabbath we are making a statement that we are not defined by our finite existence. We demonstrate that our provision is not our own. Our striving and building are not what makes our life. We ought to be reminded and refreshed in the knowledge that the infinite one decided to create us, he chose to free us (by the way, the word for Egypt means a tight and enclosed space), he chose to stoop down and love us. Our time must become his time.
Moses would later go on to infinite time and space, unbound. And so will we. But we must not forget that we are in eternity now. Eternity, without beginning or end, includes now. You are in the presence of the omnipresent God now. Our time on earth is but a vapor in eternity, each moment of our brief earthly existence is relatively significant. If my life-span on earth was a million years, then one day would not be as significant as in a life-span of only a few years.
The infinitely infinite God is interested in the finite. He created this finite time-space world. The universe seems so huge, why should God care about me? But he does. The infinite stooped down and took six days to make this world. The infinite meddled with the finite creation and stooped down to the level of going one-on-one with Pharaoh, he decided to use the descendants of one man for his universal plan. The infinite became a finite human man living on this earth for only 33 years, so that we can have eternal rest after our finite existence takes on its ultimate infinite form.
Through Sabbath we are making a statement that we are not defined by our finite existence. We demonstrate that our provision is not our own. Our striving and building are not what makes our life. We ought to be reminded and refreshed in the knowledge that the infinite one decided to create us, he chose to free us (by the way, the word for Egypt means a tight and enclosed space), he chose to stoop down and love us. Our time must become his time.
Sunday, February 20, 2005
ran/som
Exodus 30:12 - When a census is taken of Israel, each man is to give a ransom (a half shekel) so that no plague would break out.
When I've heard people preach on 2 Samuel 24 and 1 Chronicles 21 (David's census), they talk about David's pride and stuff. They say that the reason a plague broke out was because David took a census. But actually the problem wasn't the census. If David would have had each numbered person give a half-shekel to LORD, there would have been no plague.
Exodus 30:13-15 - Each numbered individual, rich or poor, was to give a half-shekel to LORD for atonement, no more, no less.
An individual is incomplete (half-shekel) without the congregation. Atonement is found in unity with the whole congregation.
The rich were not to give more, nor the poor less for their atonement. The pious can do nothing extra to gain atonement, the wicked or ignorant are not given lower standards for atonement. There is to be equality in the congregation, we all have something to contribute, and whatever we have is of the same worth in God's eyes (and incomplete in isolation from the congregation).
When I've heard people preach on 2 Samuel 24 and 1 Chronicles 21 (David's census), they talk about David's pride and stuff. They say that the reason a plague broke out was because David took a census. But actually the problem wasn't the census. If David would have had each numbered person give a half-shekel to LORD, there would have been no plague.
Exodus 30:13-15 - Each numbered individual, rich or poor, was to give a half-shekel to LORD for atonement, no more, no less.
An individual is incomplete (half-shekel) without the congregation. Atonement is found in unity with the whole congregation.
The rich were not to give more, nor the poor less for their atonement. The pious can do nothing extra to gain atonement, the wicked or ignorant are not given lower standards for atonement. There is to be equality in the congregation, we all have something to contribute, and whatever we have is of the same worth in God's eyes (and incomplete in isolation from the congregation).
Thursday, February 17, 2005
one yeer
Today marks one year of being a boyfriend and having the greatest girlfriend in the world. She's so smart and beautiful and silly and compassionate. I don't deserve her, but I love her.
Sunday, February 13, 2005
Tuesday, February 08, 2005
Momentum
I went to the Counseling Center today. It looks like I'm going to be doing my practicum there. I'm a little excited about it.
As much as I want to be a teacher, I also want to do this counseling stuff. It's okay, I'm young. This is the time for me to test a bunch of water before diving in anywhere.
Hurrah! I just found my contacts case! I'm getting tired of only wearing glasses all the time. I was planning to go buy another one this afternoon. But there they are.
I am planning to go get my phone fixed today. It's doing this thing where I can clearly hear the people talking to me, but they can't hear me. I don't know why Joy seems to think that I enjoy not being able to respond to her on the phone.
My roomate, Ben, got asked to preach at campus days chapel on the 18th. That's one of the biggest honors for a ministry student here.
gotta go
As much as I want to be a teacher, I also want to do this counseling stuff. It's okay, I'm young. This is the time for me to test a bunch of water before diving in anywhere.
Hurrah! I just found my contacts case! I'm getting tired of only wearing glasses all the time. I was planning to go buy another one this afternoon. But there they are.
I am planning to go get my phone fixed today. It's doing this thing where I can clearly hear the people talking to me, but they can't hear me. I don't know why Joy seems to think that I enjoy not being able to respond to her on the phone.
My roomate, Ben, got asked to preach at campus days chapel on the 18th. That's one of the biggest honors for a ministry student here.
gotta go
Monday, February 07, 2005
uninspired
Tommorow's Fat Tuesday. The next day is Ash Wednesday. Those of you who follow church tradition already know that. The rest of you Christians need to get with the pope and open your eyes to the multitude of pagan holidays that you can celebrate. Easter just isn't the same without Mardi Gras.
I haven't felt like writing lately. Well, actually, I've wanted to write, but I don't know what to write about.
So the Super Bowl was last night. John Elway wasn't playing, so I didn't really care. In my mind I can still see #7 making that dive toward the endzone and getting spun around like a helicopter by those Packers in Super Bowl XXXII.
This week's Torah Portion is about the tabernacle. When people decide to read through the Bible and start in Genesis, this is where most people begin to give up.
Ok, that's all I'm writing tonight.
I haven't felt like writing lately. Well, actually, I've wanted to write, but I don't know what to write about.
So the Super Bowl was last night. John Elway wasn't playing, so I didn't really care. In my mind I can still see #7 making that dive toward the endzone and getting spun around like a helicopter by those Packers in Super Bowl XXXII.
This week's Torah Portion is about the tabernacle. When people decide to read through the Bible and start in Genesis, this is where most people begin to give up.
Ok, that's all I'm writing tonight.
Thursday, February 03, 2005
Master
It's been so very cold. And wet. It was supposed to snow yesterday/last night, but it didn't. It takes a discerning eye to see the beauty in this weather, but it has been beautiful. Because God controls the weather.
I sent in my application for the teaching internship. But I still need to find a place to do my counseling internship. I have choices I must make and things I must do. Still God is in control of my future.
I wonder where Nathan is. I haven't heard from my cousin in a long time. Only crude forwarded emails. I wonder if any of my family knows where he is. Maybe I should try emailing him again. That boy needs to get his life straightened out. He's got some real potential. God knows where Nathan is.
In chapel today, the speaker told about 8 stories about people. At about 3 or 4 I began analyzing his style, because I want to be a great storyteller. We are God's story. And God is the best storyteller.
This week's Torah portion as well as my own wandering mind have led me to think more and more that God is The Boss. And we are small and depend on him for everything. We really have no say in the matter. We may feel powerful, but we're not. We may think that God had elevated us to a level equal with him, but we're not equal with God. He owns us. Our job is to obey. We don't have any room for negotiations. No room to say, but I thought we were buddies. God is the Sovereign Lord and Master.
I hear testimonies about how people have been supernaturally brought to Christianity. But I've also read amazing stories about how secular Jews have come in contact with a Rabbi and later became devout Orthodox Jews and were so glad because it changed their lives and they really got to know G-d. Mormons feel a burning in the bosom when they read the Book of Mormon. Buddhists talk about how freeing and wonderful Buddhism is. People give testiomnies about how some self-help guru changed their lives. What is real? What matters? Do many roads lead to God? I don't think so. Counterfeit is so close to the real thing. We don't decide who goes to heaven or not. God decides what happens after we die. He can judge however he wants. In the meantime, he has told us what we ought to do. Just because we do what he told us doesn't mean he has to be nice to us in the afterlife. But I figure it's a good idea to obey God. He keeps his word. That's the only limit on what he's gonna do. It has to line up with scripture from beginning to end. The only security we have is his Word. For those who don't have the Bible, there is the hope for Mercy. But we've been warned. I don't know what I'm trying to say in this last paragraph. But I'm convinced that we ought to obey the commands from Torah. Yet God seems to use people who have aspects of truth, but trample the rest of truth underfoot. Maybe if you comment, I'll be able to explain some more. God is Merciful and True.
I sent in my application for the teaching internship. But I still need to find a place to do my counseling internship. I have choices I must make and things I must do. Still God is in control of my future.
I wonder where Nathan is. I haven't heard from my cousin in a long time. Only crude forwarded emails. I wonder if any of my family knows where he is. Maybe I should try emailing him again. That boy needs to get his life straightened out. He's got some real potential. God knows where Nathan is.
In chapel today, the speaker told about 8 stories about people. At about 3 or 4 I began analyzing his style, because I want to be a great storyteller. We are God's story. And God is the best storyteller.
This week's Torah portion as well as my own wandering mind have led me to think more and more that God is The Boss. And we are small and depend on him for everything. We really have no say in the matter. We may feel powerful, but we're not. We may think that God had elevated us to a level equal with him, but we're not equal with God. He owns us. Our job is to obey. We don't have any room for negotiations. No room to say, but I thought we were buddies. God is the Sovereign Lord and Master.
I hear testimonies about how people have been supernaturally brought to Christianity. But I've also read amazing stories about how secular Jews have come in contact with a Rabbi and later became devout Orthodox Jews and were so glad because it changed their lives and they really got to know G-d. Mormons feel a burning in the bosom when they read the Book of Mormon. Buddhists talk about how freeing and wonderful Buddhism is. People give testiomnies about how some self-help guru changed their lives. What is real? What matters? Do many roads lead to God? I don't think so. Counterfeit is so close to the real thing. We don't decide who goes to heaven or not. God decides what happens after we die. He can judge however he wants. In the meantime, he has told us what we ought to do. Just because we do what he told us doesn't mean he has to be nice to us in the afterlife. But I figure it's a good idea to obey God. He keeps his word. That's the only limit on what he's gonna do. It has to line up with scripture from beginning to end. The only security we have is his Word. For those who don't have the Bible, there is the hope for Mercy. But we've been warned. I don't know what I'm trying to say in this last paragraph. But I'm convinced that we ought to obey the commands from Torah. Yet God seems to use people who have aspects of truth, but trample the rest of truth underfoot. Maybe if you comment, I'll be able to explain some more. God is Merciful and True.
Monday, January 31, 2005
Time Density
So, I’ve been working a lot. I worked 40.7 hours last week. I’m supposed to be working part time. Seems to me like my time at work has been pretty full. This week I get somewhat of a break, until the weekend when I work twenty-some hours fri-sun (basically the whole weekend, excluding sabbath and sleeptime).
I went to the university’s Career Services office the other day to find out about places to do my practicum. I have to intern at a counseling type place in order to graduate. So I mentioned that I have recently re-realized that I would rather teach than be a psychologist. The Career Servant mentioned this Alternative Certification Program. Where I could do a year of education type stuff beginning with some classes in the summer. I would have to pay for it like a year of school. But I would also get paid and become a real live teacher. I looked it up on the internet and found out that I had one week to send in the big fat application. So, though I don’t have to go to work this week, I’m pretty busy trying to get my application in on time. This could be cool.
I also have to find a place to intern in order to graduate with my somewhat useful bachelor’s degree in counseling. No reason to stress out. Everything’s gonna be OK.
I went to the university’s Career Services office the other day to find out about places to do my practicum. I have to intern at a counseling type place in order to graduate. So I mentioned that I have recently re-realized that I would rather teach than be a psychologist. The Career Servant mentioned this Alternative Certification Program. Where I could do a year of education type stuff beginning with some classes in the summer. I would have to pay for it like a year of school. But I would also get paid and become a real live teacher. I looked it up on the internet and found out that I had one week to send in the big fat application. So, though I don’t have to go to work this week, I’m pretty busy trying to get my application in on time. This could be cool.
I also have to find a place to intern in order to graduate with my somewhat useful bachelor’s degree in counseling. No reason to stress out. Everything’s gonna be OK.
Friday, January 28, 2005
Jethro and the cowboy missionary
Y’know, the cowboy preacher was right when he said that preachin’ to thousands at a time aint as effective as disciplin’ one at a time.
And, in Exodus 18, Jethro was right when he told Moses that he’d get plum wor’ out listnin’ t’all those people’s problems, and that the people’d get tired of standin’ around waitin’ for him to hear their case. So Jethro suggested to Moses, “I reckon you could teach them rules to a few people and have them judge some cases. They could bring the toughest problems to you. An’ your work load would be slimmed down quite a bit.”
And in chapter 20 God kinda does the same thing. He speaks so that the Israelites can hear his voice, but it is through Moses that he makes his will known.
And God doesn’t give big fancy revelations of himself to everybody. He relies on people telling others about him. God takes sort of a hands off approach. Sure he is totally involved in our lives and everything. But he doesn’t tell us every little thing. He lets us make big decisions on our own.
I was thinking about how God hasn’t given be any big hints about my future. I just want to have some idea, so that I know what I need to be doing now to prepare for it. I saw a someone who couldn’t walk very well. I had this urge to go help her out. To open doors, carry things, pick her up and carry her. But I knew she wouldn’t appreciate any of those things. She’s glad that she can walk as well as she can. And as she struggles with her legs they become stronger and her stride gets smoother.
God isn’t like an overbearing overprotective mother who raises incompetent children. He knows how much we can handle. He is like an eagle. Pushing us out of the nest so that we can use our own wings. But as we fall, he is right there to catch us.
And, in Exodus 18, Jethro was right when he told Moses that he’d get plum wor’ out listnin’ t’all those people’s problems, and that the people’d get tired of standin’ around waitin’ for him to hear their case. So Jethro suggested to Moses, “I reckon you could teach them rules to a few people and have them judge some cases. They could bring the toughest problems to you. An’ your work load would be slimmed down quite a bit.”
And in chapter 20 God kinda does the same thing. He speaks so that the Israelites can hear his voice, but it is through Moses that he makes his will known.
And God doesn’t give big fancy revelations of himself to everybody. He relies on people telling others about him. God takes sort of a hands off approach. Sure he is totally involved in our lives and everything. But he doesn’t tell us every little thing. He lets us make big decisions on our own.
I was thinking about how God hasn’t given be any big hints about my future. I just want to have some idea, so that I know what I need to be doing now to prepare for it. I saw a someone who couldn’t walk very well. I had this urge to go help her out. To open doors, carry things, pick her up and carry her. But I knew she wouldn’t appreciate any of those things. She’s glad that she can walk as well as she can. And as she struggles with her legs they become stronger and her stride gets smoother.
God isn’t like an overbearing overprotective mother who raises incompetent children. He knows how much we can handle. He is like an eagle. Pushing us out of the nest so that we can use our own wings. But as we fall, he is right there to catch us.
Wednesday, January 26, 2005
read
check out this article. (and click on the link at the bottom)
also, if you have some time, read this article.
also, if you have some time, read this article.
Monday, January 24, 2005
point five (.5)
Today is my half birthday. So in honor of me, randomness.
Talk on your cell phone in public as much and as loud as you want. But when you get up to a cash register, hang up. Talking on the phone the entire time that you're paying for your groceries is one of the rudest things ever.
I don't care what you say, wasabi peas rock the casbah.
Rich people can be so mean, and some of them are very nice.
Parents, don't ignore your kids. They're a blessing not a nuisance.
Ageism the other way. Old people are cool. They can contribute spiritually as well. Hey kid, show some respect.
Joseph at work is from Sudan. Joseph would rather live in Sudan than in America. Sudan signed some kind of peace treaty this month. I think I'm going to try to find out more about that. Who knows, maybe I will write another political type post.
Talk on your cell phone in public as much and as loud as you want. But when you get up to a cash register, hang up. Talking on the phone the entire time that you're paying for your groceries is one of the rudest things ever.
I don't care what you say, wasabi peas rock the casbah.
Rich people can be so mean, and some of them are very nice.
Parents, don't ignore your kids. They're a blessing not a nuisance.
Ageism the other way. Old people are cool. They can contribute spiritually as well. Hey kid, show some respect.
Joseph at work is from Sudan. Joseph would rather live in Sudan than in America. Sudan signed some kind of peace treaty this month. I think I'm going to try to find out more about that. Who knows, maybe I will write another political type post.
Sunday, January 23, 2005
Children rock
Children are so interesting. Sure they are completely selfish, but they are also full of trust and love thy neighbor. If you give a young child enough attention, he or she will smile at you and brighten your day.
But all that stops when their parents teach them not to talk to strangers. But sadly, children must be taught to avoid the danger of those creeps (far too mild a word) out there who would want to do them harm. Those horrible vile filthy disgusting perverts (still I'm being too kind) who would kidnap, molest, or in any way do harm to a child. Am I really to love that kind of person?
But back to children. When I see children, I am reminded of when I was a child. I feel a unique feeling as I go back to those days in my mind. I also remember those older people who didn’t appreciate how great children are. People that only saw children as rambunctious troublemakers. I always knew that children were real people, too. I never thought that girls had cooties, and I’ve always known that skin color was just skin color. Yet I was aware of all kinds of discrimination around me. I couldn’t understand why people would look down on, avoid, or dislike other people for such stupid reasons.
I was most keenly aware of ageism. I knew that we children were being treated like second class citizens in some places, i.e. church. I knew that children should be able to contribute to the Christian meeting, but they must be given the opportunity. My brother would sing at church when he was young. His voice was great (and still is). He wasn’t just cute, people could actually have a spiritual experience as he sang.
And when children reach the age where they can look at an idea from various angles, they come up with theories, they come up with questions, they can be so smart, it just rocks. At the congregation I attend on Saturday mornings, the format is more like Sunday School than like a church service. And everyone is encouraged to comment or ask questions during the service. The last two weeks a young girl has been asking questions. She is so smart and when she speaks everyone listens. She went to the front and did a reading yesterday. For the past three weeks, children have been doing the reading from the New Testament. They read a passage and then give a few comments. I’m doing the reading this week, it’s going to be tough following those children. I hope that I can speak with the honesty and sincerity that they did.
But all that stops when their parents teach them not to talk to strangers. But sadly, children must be taught to avoid the danger of those creeps (far too mild a word) out there who would want to do them harm. Those horrible vile filthy disgusting perverts (still I'm being too kind) who would kidnap, molest, or in any way do harm to a child. Am I really to love that kind of person?
But back to children. When I see children, I am reminded of when I was a child. I feel a unique feeling as I go back to those days in my mind. I also remember those older people who didn’t appreciate how great children are. People that only saw children as rambunctious troublemakers. I always knew that children were real people, too. I never thought that girls had cooties, and I’ve always known that skin color was just skin color. Yet I was aware of all kinds of discrimination around me. I couldn’t understand why people would look down on, avoid, or dislike other people for such stupid reasons.
I was most keenly aware of ageism. I knew that we children were being treated like second class citizens in some places, i.e. church. I knew that children should be able to contribute to the Christian meeting, but they must be given the opportunity. My brother would sing at church when he was young. His voice was great (and still is). He wasn’t just cute, people could actually have a spiritual experience as he sang.
And when children reach the age where they can look at an idea from various angles, they come up with theories, they come up with questions, they can be so smart, it just rocks. At the congregation I attend on Saturday mornings, the format is more like Sunday School than like a church service. And everyone is encouraged to comment or ask questions during the service. The last two weeks a young girl has been asking questions. She is so smart and when she speaks everyone listens. She went to the front and did a reading yesterday. For the past three weeks, children have been doing the reading from the New Testament. They read a passage and then give a few comments. I’m doing the reading this week, it’s going to be tough following those children. I hope that I can speak with the honesty and sincerity that they did.
Thursday, January 20, 2005
Pax Americana
I’m not a big fan of politics. My discussion topic of choice is usually religion. I didn’t even realize that yesterday’s post was on the eve of the Presidential Inauguration. (you can read the inagural address here)(i fixed the link).
I’m not a Republican, I’m not a Democrat. I’m a little bit liberal, a little bit conservative. I like to think of myself as a citizen of the kingdom of heaven. So my citizenship on earth isn’t that big of a deal. Of course I am free to say that because I live in America. But even if I was in a more restricted country, I hope I would try to obey God rather than men.
George W. Bush is president. Good for him. He’s not the perfect Christian leader, he’s not evil incarnate. He’s an imperfect human being. I’m pretty sure he’s doing the best he can to help people. I’m pretty sure he’s got some selfish motives. Woopdidoo.
American style freedom isn’t the best hope for peace in our world. What if every country had a government of the people by the people and for the people? The world would still have the same problems it has always had.
My mind is running every which way, so I'm going to leave this unfinished and just wrap it up. I'm sorta wishy-washy when it comes to politics. I'm more firm when it comes to faith. But I still don't have all the answers and I could be mostly wrong on most of what I believe. I'm open to that possibility. Read Bush's address and tell me what you think about it in the comments.
And when you comment on religious type stuff and I argue with you, it's not because I'm right, you're wrong and that's the way it is. It's because God is a big deal to me; I don't want to settle for less than the best when it comes to that area of my life. Let's walk and talk about Jesus and hash out the most excellent way. I don't expect a smooth ride. It hasn't been so far. Let's get down and dirty following this Jesus guy.
OK. I'll stop for now. If anybody's reading this, I would greatly appreciate some comments.
I’m not a Republican, I’m not a Democrat. I’m a little bit liberal, a little bit conservative. I like to think of myself as a citizen of the kingdom of heaven. So my citizenship on earth isn’t that big of a deal. Of course I am free to say that because I live in America. But even if I was in a more restricted country, I hope I would try to obey God rather than men.
George W. Bush is president. Good for him. He’s not the perfect Christian leader, he’s not evil incarnate. He’s an imperfect human being. I’m pretty sure he’s doing the best he can to help people. I’m pretty sure he’s got some selfish motives. Woopdidoo.
American style freedom isn’t the best hope for peace in our world. What if every country had a government of the people by the people and for the people? The world would still have the same problems it has always had.
My mind is running every which way, so I'm going to leave this unfinished and just wrap it up. I'm sorta wishy-washy when it comes to politics. I'm more firm when it comes to faith. But I still don't have all the answers and I could be mostly wrong on most of what I believe. I'm open to that possibility. Read Bush's address and tell me what you think about it in the comments.
And when you comment on religious type stuff and I argue with you, it's not because I'm right, you're wrong and that's the way it is. It's because God is a big deal to me; I don't want to settle for less than the best when it comes to that area of my life. Let's walk and talk about Jesus and hash out the most excellent way. I don't expect a smooth ride. It hasn't been so far. Let's get down and dirty following this Jesus guy.
OK. I'll stop for now. If anybody's reading this, I would greatly appreciate some comments.
Wednesday, January 19, 2005
Wulfstan
Some people recognize today as the Feast of Wulfstan, Bishop of Worcester. He is known for his opposition to slave trade in England. Wulfstan started out as a loyal subject of King Harold, but when William conquered England, Wulfstan became loyal to King William.
It is interesting when patriots quote Romans 13 as a proof that Americans should go to war when the American government says to go to war. We should submit to the governing authorities they say. And these same people see July 4, 1776 as a great day. Yet that day marks a great rebellion against the governing authorities.
And as a result of that day, slavery in America was extended. In England and its colonies, slave trade was abolished over 50 years before America’s Civil War. England abolished slavery with its Emancipation Act 30 years before Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation.
So was the American Revolution a good thing or not? What if the colonists had submitted to the governing authorities? Only God really knows. I believe he sees all the possible outcomes and tries to point us toward the right direction. He may even command things that just don’t seem very nice, but they are for the best.
There’s no such thing as the harsh God of the Old Testament. God is the eternal God. He’s just kinda hard to figure out sometimes. Look at this week’s Torah portion. Exodus 13:7 says that God led the Israelites a certain way so that they wouldn’t face war or they might be afraid and want to go back to Egypt. Well, before long Pharaoh comes charging up with his chariots and then later the Israelites get hungry and thirsty and they wish they had never left Egypt. Then the Israelites face war. The Amalekites attacked them.
Fast forward to 1 Samuel 15. Saul is told to totally destroy the Amalekites. Why would a loving merciful God demand such a thing? Well, Saul decides to be more merciful than God. He lets king Agag live. In Esther 3, we see Haman, a descendant of Agag. Haman tried to kill all the Jews. This results in a big war. Some people think that Haman had a descendant named Adolf who tried to pick up where Haman left off. That resulted in a big war also.
Maybe God can see consequences that we just cant see. Our hearts can deceive us. But God knows our hearts. His Word penetrates and judges our hearts.
“Multiply among us faithful pastors, who, like your holy bishop Wulfstan, will give courage to those who are oppressed and held in bondage: and bring us all, we pray, into the true freedom of your kingdom; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns”
It is interesting when patriots quote Romans 13 as a proof that Americans should go to war when the American government says to go to war. We should submit to the governing authorities they say. And these same people see July 4, 1776 as a great day. Yet that day marks a great rebellion against the governing authorities.
And as a result of that day, slavery in America was extended. In England and its colonies, slave trade was abolished over 50 years before America’s Civil War. England abolished slavery with its Emancipation Act 30 years before Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation.
So was the American Revolution a good thing or not? What if the colonists had submitted to the governing authorities? Only God really knows. I believe he sees all the possible outcomes and tries to point us toward the right direction. He may even command things that just don’t seem very nice, but they are for the best.
There’s no such thing as the harsh God of the Old Testament. God is the eternal God. He’s just kinda hard to figure out sometimes. Look at this week’s Torah portion. Exodus 13:7 says that God led the Israelites a certain way so that they wouldn’t face war or they might be afraid and want to go back to Egypt. Well, before long Pharaoh comes charging up with his chariots and then later the Israelites get hungry and thirsty and they wish they had never left Egypt. Then the Israelites face war. The Amalekites attacked them.
Fast forward to 1 Samuel 15. Saul is told to totally destroy the Amalekites. Why would a loving merciful God demand such a thing? Well, Saul decides to be more merciful than God. He lets king Agag live. In Esther 3, we see Haman, a descendant of Agag. Haman tried to kill all the Jews. This results in a big war. Some people think that Haman had a descendant named Adolf who tried to pick up where Haman left off. That resulted in a big war also.
Maybe God can see consequences that we just cant see. Our hearts can deceive us. But God knows our hearts. His Word penetrates and judges our hearts.
“Multiply among us faithful pastors, who, like your holy bishop Wulfstan, will give courage to those who are oppressed and held in bondage: and bring us all, we pray, into the true freedom of your kingdom; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns”
Tuesday, January 18, 2005
Part 4 of 4: Love the Lord
Love God. Love others.
That’s it.
But how? What does that mean?
Loving your neighbor should be somewhat understandable. We deal with human relationships all the time. We have the parable of the Samaritan. The man who bandaged and took care of someone who would have been an enemy because of race. We are told to love our enemies, but how are we to love someone we hate? Love is action. Show me love without action and I’ll show you someone who’s fooling himself. Loving your enemy does not first require that you feel nicely toward that person, but that you behave kindly, and then allow the warm feelings to grow with time.
But loving God. How does one love God? Singing songs? Feeling nicely toward him in your heart? Believing certain things? Our relationship with God is comparable to two human relationships. The marriage relationship and the parent-child relationship.
He buys her flowers. He has no idea why flowers are such a big deal, they’re going to die in a few days anyway, but she really likes them, so he gets them. She knows he can’t stand spinach, so she hasn’t tried to make him eat spinach casserole. They talk to each other. They know the other’s likes and dislikes. They know what the other hates and what the other really likes. They do what they know will please the other. Some of the biggest problems come when he does something wrong and doesn’t realize it. Or he just decides it’s no big deal even though it’s a big deal to her. When couples have to go to marriage counseling, the counselor doesn’t tell the couple to try to change their feelings. They change behaviors and the feelings will follow. Lost love is usually caused by doing or not doing. She can tell him she loves him forever, she may even feel like she loves him, but until she acts out that love it’s just words and feelings and not love.
A child shows his love for his parents by obeying them and by drawing with crayons on construction paper. The child doesn’t know why he can’t touch the stove, but because he trusts his parents he wont touch it. If parents and children don’t love each other, there will be a lack of rules, discipline, and obedience.
Sabbath is like a wedding ring showing that I am his and he is mine. The ring is worth a lot of money, but that’s not its real value. Rest on the Sabbath may be good for you physically, but its real value is spiritual. It’s the same with the other commandments, they are a demonstration of your love for God. “If you love me, keep my commandments.”
“Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord’ and do not do what I say?”
True, God does not want us to just be robots that do whatever he says. He wants our hearts and our actions. It's not either you obey the Law or you have faith in Christ. It's both. It's not Love or Works. It's both. God wants your everything. Your love, obedience, faith, knowlege, blindness, wisdom. All of you. It's everything. Do you get it? Jesus is not just the Gospels, he is the epistles, he is Revelation, he is Torah, he is the Psalms, Prophets, Proverbs, he is the sacrifices, the priestly garments, honor your father and mother, he is do not murder, he is the sanctity of life, he is the holiness of the Sabbath, he is I AM. Study him, Love him, Serve him. Be conformed to his image. Do Not make up excuses in order to avoid the parts of him that make you uncomfortable.
That’s it.
But how? What does that mean?
Loving your neighbor should be somewhat understandable. We deal with human relationships all the time. We have the parable of the Samaritan. The man who bandaged and took care of someone who would have been an enemy because of race. We are told to love our enemies, but how are we to love someone we hate? Love is action. Show me love without action and I’ll show you someone who’s fooling himself. Loving your enemy does not first require that you feel nicely toward that person, but that you behave kindly, and then allow the warm feelings to grow with time.
But loving God. How does one love God? Singing songs? Feeling nicely toward him in your heart? Believing certain things? Our relationship with God is comparable to two human relationships. The marriage relationship and the parent-child relationship.
He buys her flowers. He has no idea why flowers are such a big deal, they’re going to die in a few days anyway, but she really likes them, so he gets them. She knows he can’t stand spinach, so she hasn’t tried to make him eat spinach casserole. They talk to each other. They know the other’s likes and dislikes. They know what the other hates and what the other really likes. They do what they know will please the other. Some of the biggest problems come when he does something wrong and doesn’t realize it. Or he just decides it’s no big deal even though it’s a big deal to her. When couples have to go to marriage counseling, the counselor doesn’t tell the couple to try to change their feelings. They change behaviors and the feelings will follow. Lost love is usually caused by doing or not doing. She can tell him she loves him forever, she may even feel like she loves him, but until she acts out that love it’s just words and feelings and not love.
A child shows his love for his parents by obeying them and by drawing with crayons on construction paper. The child doesn’t know why he can’t touch the stove, but because he trusts his parents he wont touch it. If parents and children don’t love each other, there will be a lack of rules, discipline, and obedience.
Sabbath is like a wedding ring showing that I am his and he is mine. The ring is worth a lot of money, but that’s not its real value. Rest on the Sabbath may be good for you physically, but its real value is spiritual. It’s the same with the other commandments, they are a demonstration of your love for God. “If you love me, keep my commandments.”
“Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord’ and do not do what I say?”
True, God does not want us to just be robots that do whatever he says. He wants our hearts and our actions. It's not either you obey the Law or you have faith in Christ. It's both. It's not Love or Works. It's both. God wants your everything. Your love, obedience, faith, knowlege, blindness, wisdom. All of you. It's everything. Do you get it? Jesus is not just the Gospels, he is the epistles, he is Revelation, he is Torah, he is the Psalms, Prophets, Proverbs, he is the sacrifices, the priestly garments, honor your father and mother, he is do not murder, he is the sanctity of life, he is the holiness of the Sabbath, he is I AM. Study him, Love him, Serve him. Be conformed to his image. Do Not make up excuses in order to avoid the parts of him that make you uncomfortable.
Monday, January 17, 2005
Ring the Bell
Won't somebody ring the bell
Won't somebody ring the bell
Won't somebody ring the bell
Let me hear it ring
as the people sing
to their king
though they wont give their brother a thing
the brother who doesn't have a thing
They are captives to their greed
blind to a brother in need
Is it them
or is it me
who doesn't see
as i go
to and fro
to buy and sell
Won't somebody ring the bell
Won't somebody ring the bell
ring the song as they sing
a bountiful melody to you and me
Listen and see
the songs
one two three
sit up, stand down
Sit up
stand down
enter the con-men in pharisaical robes
watch as they circle the globe
making twice as much sons of hell
Won't somebody ring the bell
Fools listening to the con-men
telling lies with a little truth mixed in
words like ice cream to them
so they hang on every word so absurd
they swallow what they're told
their eyes glittering gold
fools ears love to listen to what con-men's tongues love to tell
Won't somebody ring the bell
Won't somebody ring the bell
Won't somebody ring the bell
Let freedom ring
let Truth be seen
let Truth be the thing that sets us Free
Son set us Free to be Free indeed
In a master father's house a slave has no power
the Son came for this hour
to exercise the authority given him by the Father
to free the captives, break the chains, and release the oppressed
and he passed the responsibility on to us
So when you get on the bus
take the smelly seat
wash your betrayer's smelly feet
we need to love our enemies
and set men truly free
Won't somebody ring the bell
Won't somebody ring the bell
Maybe i should ring the bell
_
(11/10/03)
Sunday, January 16, 2005
Part 3 of 4: The New Covenant
The New Covenant aint just a New Testament thing. The New Testament guys got the idea from Jeremiah. Let’s take a look.
Jeremiah 31:31-34
“Behold, days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will make a new covenant...”
“What I mean is this: The law, introduced 430 years later, does not set aside the covenant previously established by God and thus do away with the promise.” Galatians 3:17. The Noaic Covenant was not abolished by the Abrahamic Covenant, which was not abolished by the Mosaic Covenant, which is not abolished by the New Covenant.
“...with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah,...”
Are you an Israelite or are you a Jew? If those “Israelite Laws” don’t apply to you, why in the world do you think the New Covenant applies to you?
“...not like the covenant which I made with their fathers in the day I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, although I was a husband to them, declares the LORD. . .”
The New Covenant is not the Mosaic Covenant. Makes sense.
“...But this is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the LORD, I will put My law within them and on their heart I will write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. . .”
His law? Could that be the same law as the law in the Mosaic Covenant? You can have the same law and different covenants.
“...They will not teach again, each man his neighbor and each man his brother, saying, “Know the LORD,” for they will all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them, declares the LORD, for I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.”
Whoa. What’s this? No more teaching? Are we in the New Covenant or not? Does everyone know the LORD? But what about the cup at Passover? Jesus said something about the New Covenant. Do some studying. Did he drink it, did he pour it out, did the disciples drink it, did Jesus say he wouldn’t drink it until he drank it anew in the Kingdom?
Maybe the New Covenant is one of those “now but not yet” things. It’s been started a little bit, but it’s not totally here. There’s a lot of stuff that still has to happen before everything is completed.
Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Jeremiah 31:31-34
“Behold, days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will make a new covenant...”
“What I mean is this: The law, introduced 430 years later, does not set aside the covenant previously established by God and thus do away with the promise.” Galatians 3:17. The Noaic Covenant was not abolished by the Abrahamic Covenant, which was not abolished by the Mosaic Covenant, which is not abolished by the New Covenant.
“...with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah,...”
Are you an Israelite or are you a Jew? If those “Israelite Laws” don’t apply to you, why in the world do you think the New Covenant applies to you?
“...not like the covenant which I made with their fathers in the day I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, although I was a husband to them, declares the LORD. . .”
The New Covenant is not the Mosaic Covenant. Makes sense.
“...But this is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the LORD, I will put My law within them and on their heart I will write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. . .”
His law? Could that be the same law as the law in the Mosaic Covenant? You can have the same law and different covenants.
“...They will not teach again, each man his neighbor and each man his brother, saying, “Know the LORD,” for they will all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them, declares the LORD, for I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.”
Whoa. What’s this? No more teaching? Are we in the New Covenant or not? Does everyone know the LORD? But what about the cup at Passover? Jesus said something about the New Covenant. Do some studying. Did he drink it, did he pour it out, did the disciples drink it, did Jesus say he wouldn’t drink it until he drank it anew in the Kingdom?
Maybe the New Covenant is one of those “now but not yet” things. It’s been started a little bit, but it’s not totally here. There’s a lot of stuff that still has to happen before everything is completed.
Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Saturday, January 15, 2005
Thursday, January 13, 2005
Part 2 of 4: Yesterday, Today, and Forever
Righteousness has always been by faith. No one has ever been able to work their way to God. Faith, hope and love have always been necessary. The blood of bulls and goats was never able take away sins.
The legalistic "observer of the law" who had no love in his heart in David’s day was just the same as the Pharisees to whom Jesus said woe.
The prophets told people who offered sacrifices and oppressed the poor that their sacrifices were abominations. The people needed to follow the command from God that Moses wrote down and circumcise their hearts. Deuteronomy 10:16 and 30:6.
Offering sacrifices did not make people forgiven. Animal blood didn't forgive, God forgave. People were to offer sacrifices out of obedience and love. A sacrifice without intent was just a dead animal.
In "Old Testament times" the temple was destroyed. People were taken in captivity to Babylon. Daniel lived during that time. He couldn't make sacrifices. But he prayed three times a day facing Jerusalem, confessing his sins and the sins of the people. I'm pretty sure Daniel recieved forgiveness.
God didn’t change his mind about what it meant for a human being to be righteous. He didn’t start off saying, “Okay, I got this pair of balances. I’m going to weigh your good deeds and bad deeds,” but then later decide that’s not what he really wanted. He’s not wishy washy. He has always judged people’s hearts and actions the same way.
Remember this: Jesus is eternal. His death 2000 years ago still covers us 2000 years later. It also covered people in 3000 B.C. God is not bound by time.
To find out about Jesus, people just had to study the Torah. The whole bible is all about Jesus.
Faith: Trust in God’s Mercy and Justice and his Promises, acting faithfully toward God.
Hope: Hope in Messiah, hope in the Word of God.
Love: Respect, honor, loyalty, submission, service to God and people.
The legalistic "observer of the law" who had no love in his heart in David’s day was just the same as the Pharisees to whom Jesus said woe.
The prophets told people who offered sacrifices and oppressed the poor that their sacrifices were abominations. The people needed to follow the command from God that Moses wrote down and circumcise their hearts. Deuteronomy 10:16 and 30:6.
Offering sacrifices did not make people forgiven. Animal blood didn't forgive, God forgave. People were to offer sacrifices out of obedience and love. A sacrifice without intent was just a dead animal.
In "Old Testament times" the temple was destroyed. People were taken in captivity to Babylon. Daniel lived during that time. He couldn't make sacrifices. But he prayed three times a day facing Jerusalem, confessing his sins and the sins of the people. I'm pretty sure Daniel recieved forgiveness.
God didn’t change his mind about what it meant for a human being to be righteous. He didn’t start off saying, “Okay, I got this pair of balances. I’m going to weigh your good deeds and bad deeds,” but then later decide that’s not what he really wanted. He’s not wishy washy. He has always judged people’s hearts and actions the same way.
Remember this: Jesus is eternal. His death 2000 years ago still covers us 2000 years later. It also covered people in 3000 B.C. God is not bound by time.
To find out about Jesus, people just had to study the Torah. The whole bible is all about Jesus.
Faith: Trust in God’s Mercy and Justice and his Promises, acting faithfully toward God.
Hope: Hope in Messiah, hope in the Word of God.
Love: Respect, honor, loyalty, submission, service to God and people.
Wednesday, January 12, 2005
Freedom
For when you were slaves to sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. . . . But now having been freed from sin and enslaved to God, you derive your benefit, Romans 6:20,22
The Israelites are about to leave Egypt and God starts giving them rules. Cook the lamb this way, eat it this way, don't eat bread with yeast in it for 7 days, I want your firstborn. . .
You've heard, "Pharaoh, Pharaoh, let my people go." But it's actually, "Thus says the LORD, 'Let my people go, that they may serve me.'"
So freedom isn't free. Either you're a slave to God, or a slave to not-God. And not-God aint a kind master.
But later the Israelites would complain and even want to go back to Egypt. In the same way, we often long to go back to our disgusting sin. We tend to prefer what is familiar to us over what is good for us.
LORD, may I be satisfied with manna and hope as I travel outside the comfort zone.
The Israelites are about to leave Egypt and God starts giving them rules. Cook the lamb this way, eat it this way, don't eat bread with yeast in it for 7 days, I want your firstborn. . .
You've heard, "Pharaoh, Pharaoh, let my people go." But it's actually, "Thus says the LORD, 'Let my people go, that they may serve me.'"
So freedom isn't free. Either you're a slave to God, or a slave to not-God. And not-God aint a kind master.
But later the Israelites would complain and even want to go back to Egypt. In the same way, we often long to go back to our disgusting sin. We tend to prefer what is familiar to us over what is good for us.
LORD, may I be satisfied with manna and hope as I travel outside the comfort zone.
Tuesday, January 11, 2005
Part 1 of 4: OT <> NT
Point #1: When someone claims to have a revelation from God, a major way to check whether or not it is really from God is by checking whether or not it lines up with or contradicts scripture. So IF the apostles claimed to have revelation from God that some commandments were done away with, then there must be Old Testament scripture to support that claim. So if there is no such supporting scripture, then either the apostles were wrong or they didn’t make that claim.
I see three options. 1) Find Old Testament scripture that supports the abolishing of God’s commands. Or 2) Throw out the New Testament. Or 3) Change your interpretation of the New Testament so that it agrees with the Old.
We can agree that 2 isn’t really an option. As far as I know, no one can do 1. I and a few other people have done 3.
Point #2: As far as I know Christians are not all in agreement regarding how old testament commandments do or do not apply to Christians.
One approach is to divide the commandments into categories. The most well known division is the threefold division of Moral, Judicial, and Ceremonial. And the explanation is that Christians are only required to follow the moral commands. Besides the fact that the idea of two out of three categories of commandments being removed cannot be supported biblically, the whole division into categories is not biblical. This approach is also inconsistent in its categorization. If the categorization were consistent, tithing and not worshiping idols would fall under the Ceremonial category and would not be binding.
Another categorization is into the two groups of cultural commands and universal commands. This also falls apart, because to impose such designations would be arbitrary and subjective.
One view is that none of the commands should be followed except for those re-commanded in the new testament. But, this is not actually practiced. For example, there is no command in the new testament telling believers to tithe after the crucifixion, neither is bestiality mentioned as a sin in the new testament.
Others would say that Christians should follow all of the commands except those that (according to their interpretation) the new testament says are no longer binding. But there are commands that Christians don’t follow that aren’t even mentioned in the new testament. For example, Leviticus 19:32 says to rise in the presence of the elderly. Do Christians obey that command? (Had you even heard of that command?) Did the apostles say that command was repealed?
Do you prefer a consistent Bible and God’s rules or an inconsistent Bible and men’s rules?
I see three options. 1) Find Old Testament scripture that supports the abolishing of God’s commands. Or 2) Throw out the New Testament. Or 3) Change your interpretation of the New Testament so that it agrees with the Old.
We can agree that 2 isn’t really an option. As far as I know, no one can do 1. I and a few other people have done 3.
Point #2: As far as I know Christians are not all in agreement regarding how old testament commandments do or do not apply to Christians.
One approach is to divide the commandments into categories. The most well known division is the threefold division of Moral, Judicial, and Ceremonial. And the explanation is that Christians are only required to follow the moral commands. Besides the fact that the idea of two out of three categories of commandments being removed cannot be supported biblically, the whole division into categories is not biblical. This approach is also inconsistent in its categorization. If the categorization were consistent, tithing and not worshiping idols would fall under the Ceremonial category and would not be binding.
Another categorization is into the two groups of cultural commands and universal commands. This also falls apart, because to impose such designations would be arbitrary and subjective.
One view is that none of the commands should be followed except for those re-commanded in the new testament. But, this is not actually practiced. For example, there is no command in the new testament telling believers to tithe after the crucifixion, neither is bestiality mentioned as a sin in the new testament.
Others would say that Christians should follow all of the commands except those that (according to their interpretation) the new testament says are no longer binding. But there are commands that Christians don’t follow that aren’t even mentioned in the new testament. For example, Leviticus 19:32 says to rise in the presence of the elderly. Do Christians obey that command? (Had you even heard of that command?) Did the apostles say that command was repealed?
Do you prefer a consistent Bible and God’s rules or an inconsistent Bible and men’s rules?
Monday, January 10, 2005
Update
I'm working on a few posts about the Old Testament commandments and whatnot. I think I need to kind of explain and defend what I believe. I really want to get back to writing about other stuff.
News: I have a job. I'm going to be a cashier at Central Market. It might be a good source for some stories or random thoughts.
I've been sick the past few days, but tonight I'm feeling better.
Today I saw all three of my roomates. One (Justin) has been here with me the whole break. Another (Ben) has been in Texas, but in a different town. He works at Central Market, so I saw him there today. He will be back on campus in a week. The other roomate (Phil) just got back tonight.
News: I have a job. I'm going to be a cashier at Central Market. It might be a good source for some stories or random thoughts.
I've been sick the past few days, but tonight I'm feeling better.
Today I saw all three of my roomates. One (Justin) has been here with me the whole break. Another (Ben) has been in Texas, but in a different town. He works at Central Market, so I saw him there today. He will be back on campus in a week. The other roomate (Phil) just got back tonight.
Friday, January 07, 2005
175
A question to ask ourselves every once in while:
Self, do you love God or do you just love your idea of God, and can you tell the difference?
Self, do you love God or do you just love your idea of God, and can you tell the difference?
Thursday, January 06, 2005
Gross
Recently I have heard comments that make me want to scream. But I bite my tongue. I do a lot of biting my tongue, I think that's a major reason I started this blog. I’m usually pretty nice in person. If I’m not nice on this blog please forgive me, my tongue is bleeding.
“Ugh. I worked with a homosexual once. I do not want to do that again. I was always afraid that he was going to feel me up.”
Yes, men can be pervs. How do you think that girl at work feels being surrounded by strait men? But how many times has she been felt up? How many times did a gay man actually feel you up? Never? Wow. “Those people” are people. They don’t want to have sex any more than you do, bud.
“I can’t stand Ellen or Will and Grace. It’s not that they’re not funny, it’s just they gross me out.”
And yet you enjoy shows where single men are constantly trying to get a woman into bed (a new one every week) and it doesn’t gross you out!?
“I like war movies, but that one has two men kissing. Gross.”
But the blood and guts, the quest for revenge, the slaughtering for less than righteous reasons doesn’t get to you!?
When did homosexuality become the worst of sins?
Is it because it’s the only one that you and your friends and family aren’t guilty of?
People who have gotten to know a homosexual or two usually seem to be a little more level headed and consistent in their categorization of people and nastiness.
“Ugh. I worked with a homosexual once. I do not want to do that again. I was always afraid that he was going to feel me up.”
Yes, men can be pervs. How do you think that girl at work feels being surrounded by strait men? But how many times has she been felt up? How many times did a gay man actually feel you up? Never? Wow. “Those people” are people. They don’t want to have sex any more than you do, bud.
“I can’t stand Ellen or Will and Grace. It’s not that they’re not funny, it’s just they gross me out.”
And yet you enjoy shows where single men are constantly trying to get a woman into bed (a new one every week) and it doesn’t gross you out!?
“I like war movies, but that one has two men kissing. Gross.”
But the blood and guts, the quest for revenge, the slaughtering for less than righteous reasons doesn’t get to you!?
When did homosexuality become the worst of sins?
Is it because it’s the only one that you and your friends and family aren’t guilty of?
People who have gotten to know a homosexual or two usually seem to be a little more level headed and consistent in their categorization of people and nastiness.
Wednesday, January 05, 2005
Tuesday, January 04, 2005
Heretic Colored Glasses
When I write an article, I do not try to attack anyone. I do try to get you to think about something new, or to look at something from a different perspective.
Sometimes the new perspective is like standing at the edge of a cliff. Everyone shouts, “don’t look down,” but I do anyway. Then I feel sick to my stomach, everything starts spinning. I look back up, but it’s not the same. The new view is burnt into my mind. I want to run back home to safety. But I must continue my quest. I step out into thin air and find solid ground for my feet. I can see from this new perspective that there was a bridge all along, but from where I stood before I could not see it. I only hope that when I reach the other side there wont be any snakes.
Paul said in Galatians 1:8, “But even if we or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed.”
Hebrews 4:2 and 6 say that those led by Moses out of Egypt had the gospel preached to them.
Did Paul preach a different gospel than Moses?
John 5:39-47 says that Moses preached about Jesus. And I’m pretty sure that Paul preached about Jesus, too.
In Deuteronomy 12:32, Moses wrote that God said not to add to or take away from His commands.
I now propose a theory that if there was no Romans thru Hebrews in the New Testament, then no one would think that any of the commandments have been taken away. The rest of the books would be understood as supporting the commandments and teaching obedience to them with an emphasis on love for God and man, and not just keeping them for self-righteous reasons.
But Christians tend to put on Greek colored glasses and read Paul with a negative perspective of the Torah.
But Paul was a genius Torah scholar. He spent his life studying Torah and peeling layers and layers of meaning from the words of God. Then he met the Word of God and his perspective changed opening his eyes to new depths in the Torah.
Paul was even misunderstood and misquoted in his day. Yet we take our understanding of his words and set it up as opposite and greater than the bible that Paul studied?
Let’s go to first century Berea. You’re a Gentile (if you’re a Jew then you can be a Jew in the story). You have some Jewish friends and they are very nice people. You’re tired of worshiping idols, so you start asking about the God of Israel. You go to synagogue every Sabbath. You sit in back and listen to the prayers from the Psalms and readings from the Torah and the readings from the Prophets. This stuff seems pretty good so you start practicing what you’ve heard preached.
A few years go by and you hear about this Jew named Paul. Rumor has it that he’s teaching people that they don’t have to obey the bible anymore, they just have to love each other and believe that a guy named Jesus was God and was resurrected from the dead.
“I heard that he says that every day is alike, so Sabbath doesn’t matter.”
“I heard that he says that all animals are alike, you can even eat rats.”
“I heard that he says men and women are no different, so it doesn’t matter if you marry a man or a woman.”
Then Paul comes to town. His preaching isn’t that strange, except that every time he reads from the bible he somehow ties it to this Jesus guy.
After the service he’s talking about how all races are equal in God’s sight, it’s just that the Jews have a special purpose in God’s plan, but that doesn’t make them better than anybody else. Equal, the same, no different. Maybe the rumors are true. You speak up. “Is there no difference between right and wrong, Paul? Are your words equal to God’s?”
Paul looks at you, confused, “What are you talking about?”
“I heard that you said Sabbath doesn’t matter, that all days are alike?”
He smiles, “You can’t believe everything you hear. You might be referring to when I was talking about the fast days that a division of Pharisees tries to get people to keep. Those fasts aren’t even scriptural, but if you want to fast on a certain day, that’s fine by me. And about Sabbath, I would never say that it doesn’t matter. God says it’s holy, and he commands us to rest on it. I’ve learned not to oppose God.”
Was Paul a heretic?
Did his preaching line up with his bible?
Are you willing to look from a new perspective?
Sometimes the new perspective is like standing at the edge of a cliff. Everyone shouts, “don’t look down,” but I do anyway. Then I feel sick to my stomach, everything starts spinning. I look back up, but it’s not the same. The new view is burnt into my mind. I want to run back home to safety. But I must continue my quest. I step out into thin air and find solid ground for my feet. I can see from this new perspective that there was a bridge all along, but from where I stood before I could not see it. I only hope that when I reach the other side there wont be any snakes.
Paul said in Galatians 1:8, “But even if we or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed.”
Hebrews 4:2 and 6 say that those led by Moses out of Egypt had the gospel preached to them.
Did Paul preach a different gospel than Moses?
John 5:39-47 says that Moses preached about Jesus. And I’m pretty sure that Paul preached about Jesus, too.
In Deuteronomy 12:32, Moses wrote that God said not to add to or take away from His commands.
I now propose a theory that if there was no Romans thru Hebrews in the New Testament, then no one would think that any of the commandments have been taken away. The rest of the books would be understood as supporting the commandments and teaching obedience to them with an emphasis on love for God and man, and not just keeping them for self-righteous reasons.
But Christians tend to put on Greek colored glasses and read Paul with a negative perspective of the Torah.
But Paul was a genius Torah scholar. He spent his life studying Torah and peeling layers and layers of meaning from the words of God. Then he met the Word of God and his perspective changed opening his eyes to new depths in the Torah.
Paul was even misunderstood and misquoted in his day. Yet we take our understanding of his words and set it up as opposite and greater than the bible that Paul studied?
Let’s go to first century Berea. You’re a Gentile (if you’re a Jew then you can be a Jew in the story). You have some Jewish friends and they are very nice people. You’re tired of worshiping idols, so you start asking about the God of Israel. You go to synagogue every Sabbath. You sit in back and listen to the prayers from the Psalms and readings from the Torah and the readings from the Prophets. This stuff seems pretty good so you start practicing what you’ve heard preached.
A few years go by and you hear about this Jew named Paul. Rumor has it that he’s teaching people that they don’t have to obey the bible anymore, they just have to love each other and believe that a guy named Jesus was God and was resurrected from the dead.
“I heard that he says that every day is alike, so Sabbath doesn’t matter.”
“I heard that he says that all animals are alike, you can even eat rats.”
“I heard that he says men and women are no different, so it doesn’t matter if you marry a man or a woman.”
Then Paul comes to town. His preaching isn’t that strange, except that every time he reads from the bible he somehow ties it to this Jesus guy.
After the service he’s talking about how all races are equal in God’s sight, it’s just that the Jews have a special purpose in God’s plan, but that doesn’t make them better than anybody else. Equal, the same, no different. Maybe the rumors are true. You speak up. “Is there no difference between right and wrong, Paul? Are your words equal to God’s?”
Paul looks at you, confused, “What are you talking about?”
“I heard that you said Sabbath doesn’t matter, that all days are alike?”
He smiles, “You can’t believe everything you hear. You might be referring to when I was talking about the fast days that a division of Pharisees tries to get people to keep. Those fasts aren’t even scriptural, but if you want to fast on a certain day, that’s fine by me. And about Sabbath, I would never say that it doesn’t matter. God says it’s holy, and he commands us to rest on it. I’ve learned not to oppose God.”
Was Paul a heretic?
Did his preaching line up with his bible?
Are you willing to look from a new perspective?
Sunday, January 02, 2005
Vertigo
"...Your love is teaching me how, how to kneel"
Snakes. blood. frogs. God enabled Moses and Aaron to perform miracles to convince Pharaoh to let the Israelites go. But the magicians of Egypt did the same with their secret arts.
Balaam (the guy with the talking donkey) knew the name of the LORD. Whoever he blessed was blessed and whoever he cursed was cursed. God spoke to him. He was used by the Lord. But he was an idolater, he did not follow God. He was killed for giving advice that would lead Israel to sin.
Deuteronomy 13 talks about prophets with signs and prophecies that come true, but if they teach you to follow other gods they are not to be listened to.
Matthew 7:15-23 talks about false prophets who seem like good people. And goes on to talk about people who drive out demons, perform miracles and prophecy in the Lord’s name, they think they are actually serving the Lord, yet they are called doers of lawlessness.
People can claim to be giving you a message from God, but we have to be able to determine whether they’re teaching you to follow the One True God who Abraham and Moses followed or if they’re teaching you to follow a false god.
Mormons, Jews, Christians and Muslims all claim to follow the same God that Abraham and Moses followed. Yet each religion thinks that the other religions aren’t following Him correctly. Each religion has it’s own set of holy books, yet they all agree that the “Old Testament” is scripture.
Acts 17:11 “Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the scriptures everyday to see if what Paul said was true.”
The commandments in the Torah were spoken by God to Moses. Moses had somewhere between 200,000 and 6 million witnesses. The witnesses actually heard God’s voice at first, but then they thought it would be better if God just spoke to Moses. I think the ten commandments were the only thing God spoke to a big group of people. The rest of the time he spoke to individuals. If anybody else claims to speak for God, what they say has to line up with what Moses wrote.
Muhammad claimed to have received the Quran from God. But the Quran contradicts Moses.
Joseph Smith claimed to have revelation from God. But Christians reject his teachings because they don’t line up with the Old and New Testament.
Jesus spoke against the Jews who had already begun to add laws and traditions that contradicted their own scriptures.
Do Christians have teachings that disagree with what God said to Moses?
Can Christians look at the "Old Testament" with the Bereans and agree that what Paul said was true?
Who is teaching people to follow the true God and who is preaching a false god?
"Lights go down, it's dark The jungle is your head..."
Snakes. blood. frogs. God enabled Moses and Aaron to perform miracles to convince Pharaoh to let the Israelites go. But the magicians of Egypt did the same with their secret arts.
Balaam (the guy with the talking donkey) knew the name of the LORD. Whoever he blessed was blessed and whoever he cursed was cursed. God spoke to him. He was used by the Lord. But he was an idolater, he did not follow God. He was killed for giving advice that would lead Israel to sin.
Deuteronomy 13 talks about prophets with signs and prophecies that come true, but if they teach you to follow other gods they are not to be listened to.
Matthew 7:15-23 talks about false prophets who seem like good people. And goes on to talk about people who drive out demons, perform miracles and prophecy in the Lord’s name, they think they are actually serving the Lord, yet they are called doers of lawlessness.
People can claim to be giving you a message from God, but we have to be able to determine whether they’re teaching you to follow the One True God who Abraham and Moses followed or if they’re teaching you to follow a false god.
Mormons, Jews, Christians and Muslims all claim to follow the same God that Abraham and Moses followed. Yet each religion thinks that the other religions aren’t following Him correctly. Each religion has it’s own set of holy books, yet they all agree that the “Old Testament” is scripture.
Acts 17:11 “Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the scriptures everyday to see if what Paul said was true.”
The commandments in the Torah were spoken by God to Moses. Moses had somewhere between 200,000 and 6 million witnesses. The witnesses actually heard God’s voice at first, but then they thought it would be better if God just spoke to Moses. I think the ten commandments were the only thing God spoke to a big group of people. The rest of the time he spoke to individuals. If anybody else claims to speak for God, what they say has to line up with what Moses wrote.
Muhammad claimed to have received the Quran from God. But the Quran contradicts Moses.
Joseph Smith claimed to have revelation from God. But Christians reject his teachings because they don’t line up with the Old and New Testament.
Jesus spoke against the Jews who had already begun to add laws and traditions that contradicted their own scriptures.
Do Christians have teachings that disagree with what God said to Moses?
Can Christians look at the "Old Testament" with the Bereans and agree that what Paul said was true?
Who is teaching people to follow the true God and who is preaching a false god?
"Lights go down, it's dark The jungle is your head..."
Friday, December 31, 2004
Tuesday, December 28, 2004
Across the Street
Across the street
He stumbled and fell
But he was across the street
So I walked on
And forfeited the privilege
Of carrying my Lord’s cross
He stumbled and fell
But he was across the street
So I walked on
And forfeited the privilege
Of carrying my Lord’s cross
Monday, December 27, 2004
How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb (in under ten days)
Colorado
In Colorado, we got to see my little bro's basketball game which he played very well in and his team won. We also got to meet his lovely girlfriend. We even got to go on a little double date with them.
My little bro got me the CD I wanted. I'll let you guess which one. And my mom got me an MP3 player.
Trevor, I hope you're reading this. When I saw you coming out the door I think I said to my girlfriend, "Here comes Tyler." I don't know why. So then she might have called you Tyler. And you didn't correct her. After you left I was like "Tyler? His name's Trevor." So, if we didn't call you Tyler or you didn't notice then cool. Otherwise, I'm totally sorry. I know your name is Trevor. You rock. We gotta keep in touch more so that your name doesn't slip my mind again. Next time you see me, you can call me Joseph or Jonathan, whichever you prefer. Keep on dancin!
Joy and I saw "Finding Neverland" starring Johnny Depp. I don't think it was advertised very well. But I had heard enough about it to know that I wanted to see it. And now that I have, I highly recommend it. It got me thinking even more about stuff that I have already been thinking about.
My girlfriend and I washed her car and my mom's car and my bro's car. It was fun. Her car looked so nice. Too bad by the time we got back to Texas her car looked filthy again. That's the problem with having a white car.
Wyoming
As we were driving down the highway, there was a sign with those orange light up letters that said there was an accident at mile marker (I think it was) #327. When we got there we saw a big Fed-Ex truck tipped over and boxes all over in the snow.
Utah
The wedding was small but beautiful. My tux fit wonderfully and I looked smashing. Oh the bride looked amazing too. Lots of people were crying as she walked down the aisle, including the groom and I (but I kept the tears from actually leaving my eyes). We were there for a day and a half before the wedding. I am the bride's friend, but I hardly got to see her. I got to be around the groom a lot though. And I like him, he seems like a good guy. I still think they should have waited a little longer, but I'm happy for them and I think they'll be good together.
New Mexico
We went to New Mexico to visit my girlfriend's sister. I don't recommend moving to New Mexico, but I don't recommend moving to Texas either, yet here I be. We ate at this place called Taco Box, which doubles as a gas station. Sounds pretty nasty, but the food was actually very good.
I woke up and got ready to leave for Texas and looked out the window. It was snowing. And it was real snow like the kind we get in Colorado, not the fake ice stuff they get in Texas.
West Texas
If you plan on stopping in Abeline for a bite to eat, do your homework first. We searched for over half an hour to find the fast food district of town.
Kansas
Today is my gramma's birthday, and I was gonna go up and see her, but I called my mom and we decided that it would be better if I wait and set up the interview for my job and then go up whenever I get the chance. So I called Grammer this morning and talked to her and told her happy birthday. Since I talked to her on the phone I really want to see her. I'll go up as soon as I get a chance. Who knows what adventures I may encounter driving through Oklahoma.
In Colorado, we got to see my little bro's basketball game which he played very well in and his team won. We also got to meet his lovely girlfriend. We even got to go on a little double date with them.
My little bro got me the CD I wanted. I'll let you guess which one. And my mom got me an MP3 player.
Trevor, I hope you're reading this. When I saw you coming out the door I think I said to my girlfriend, "Here comes Tyler." I don't know why. So then she might have called you Tyler. And you didn't correct her. After you left I was like "Tyler? His name's Trevor." So, if we didn't call you Tyler or you didn't notice then cool. Otherwise, I'm totally sorry. I know your name is Trevor. You rock. We gotta keep in touch more so that your name doesn't slip my mind again. Next time you see me, you can call me Joseph or Jonathan, whichever you prefer. Keep on dancin!
Joy and I saw "Finding Neverland" starring Johnny Depp. I don't think it was advertised very well. But I had heard enough about it to know that I wanted to see it. And now that I have, I highly recommend it. It got me thinking even more about stuff that I have already been thinking about.
My girlfriend and I washed her car and my mom's car and my bro's car. It was fun. Her car looked so nice. Too bad by the time we got back to Texas her car looked filthy again. That's the problem with having a white car.
Wyoming
As we were driving down the highway, there was a sign with those orange light up letters that said there was an accident at mile marker (I think it was) #327. When we got there we saw a big Fed-Ex truck tipped over and boxes all over in the snow.
Utah
The wedding was small but beautiful. My tux fit wonderfully and I looked smashing. Oh the bride looked amazing too. Lots of people were crying as she walked down the aisle, including the groom and I (but I kept the tears from actually leaving my eyes). We were there for a day and a half before the wedding. I am the bride's friend, but I hardly got to see her. I got to be around the groom a lot though. And I like him, he seems like a good guy. I still think they should have waited a little longer, but I'm happy for them and I think they'll be good together.
New Mexico
We went to New Mexico to visit my girlfriend's sister. I don't recommend moving to New Mexico, but I don't recommend moving to Texas either, yet here I be. We ate at this place called Taco Box, which doubles as a gas station. Sounds pretty nasty, but the food was actually very good.
I woke up and got ready to leave for Texas and looked out the window. It was snowing. And it was real snow like the kind we get in Colorado, not the fake ice stuff they get in Texas.
West Texas
If you plan on stopping in Abeline for a bite to eat, do your homework first. We searched for over half an hour to find the fast food district of town.
Kansas
Today is my gramma's birthday, and I was gonna go up and see her, but I called my mom and we decided that it would be better if I wait and set up the interview for my job and then go up whenever I get the chance. So I called Grammer this morning and talked to her and told her happy birthday. Since I talked to her on the phone I really want to see her. I'll go up as soon as I get a chance. Who knows what adventures I may encounter driving through Oklahoma.
Friday, December 24, 2004
Snow Angels
I moved into the left lane to pass the car that was going far too slow. The tires beneath me started swerving on the ice. I held the steering wheel and tried to gently keep going straight. The car started skidding to the right. I turned the steering wheel to the left. Then I remembered that you’re supposed to turn into a skid. So I turned the wheel right. I think I turned too hard. The car spun completely around and we continued skidding off the side of the road.
My mind was working double time to keep us safe. What are my feet doing? Am I pressing the gas? Should I press the brake? Is that a telephone pole? This car had better not slam into that pole. I don’t know what to do. I guess I willed the car away from the pole. Or something kept us from hitting it. I saw the pole a few feet away from the window and getting closer, then I saw it moving yards away. Then there was the whiteness of flying snow. At least I thought the glittering walls of white surrounding the car were snow.
The car stopped. In front of me was some sort of a field covered with snow. Behind me, the road with cars whizzing by. My girlfriend and I were not hurt one bit. How had we not hit the car I was trying to pass? (Let’s not talk about how mad I was at myself.) I looked out the side window. A fence. A barbed wire fence. The front tires were on a section of the fence that I had knocked down.
I put the car in reverse. Nothing. My girlfriend took the wheel. I tried pushing from the front. The tires just spun. There were no dents in the car, just a few scratches on the front left of the bumper. The ground was soft and the front of the car was stuck on an old rotting piece of wood. I tried pulling the wood out from under the car and the wire, but it wouldn’t budge.
Then an angel appeared. An angel in a white four wheel drive pickup truck. He joined the two vehicles with a thick yellow rope. The truck roared and pulled and the thick yellow rope snapped.
The angel examined the front of the car and diagnosed the problem. It’s that rotten piece of wood. He got the shovel out of the truck bed and started hacking at the wood and digging around it. The wood was rotted but it was too thick and too pinned beneath the car and the barbed wire.
The one tool that the angel needed he didn’t have. A jack. But we had one in the trunk. We took out all of the luggage and found the jack. He jacked up the jack, but it kept sinking into the soft ground. He wiped away the softest earth and put a couple of wooden blocks under the jack and kept at it.
I noticed that he worked quickly but he didn’t seem to be in a rush or in a hurry. When one attempt to free the car failed, he didn’t get upset or frustrated. He just thought of another plan and went to work. Didn’t that guy have somewhere to get to? Was he on his way to work? Why was he on the road? And why was he so willing to spend so much time helping us? It seemed like the only thing that mattered to him was helping us. He never looked at his watch. He never criticized us for spinning off the road. He was nothing but kind and helpful.
He got the wood out from under the tire, then he broke some small pieces off and put them behind the tire to give some friction. He pushed on the front of the car and my girlfriend put it in reverse. The car rolled back and the fence stood up. We were free.
Should I give the guy money? Do angels eat fudge? I didn’t shake his hand; in fact, I don't think I ever even touched him. The closest I came was when he handed me the jack. I didn’t think to ask his name. As we were about to part ways he told us to drive carefully, and he said it sincerely, not sarcastically.
I don’t know what he believes about God and eternity, but I would be surprised if, in the world to come, he’s not close to the throne.
My mind was working double time to keep us safe. What are my feet doing? Am I pressing the gas? Should I press the brake? Is that a telephone pole? This car had better not slam into that pole. I don’t know what to do. I guess I willed the car away from the pole. Or something kept us from hitting it. I saw the pole a few feet away from the window and getting closer, then I saw it moving yards away. Then there was the whiteness of flying snow. At least I thought the glittering walls of white surrounding the car were snow.
The car stopped. In front of me was some sort of a field covered with snow. Behind me, the road with cars whizzing by. My girlfriend and I were not hurt one bit. How had we not hit the car I was trying to pass? (Let’s not talk about how mad I was at myself.) I looked out the side window. A fence. A barbed wire fence. The front tires were on a section of the fence that I had knocked down.
I put the car in reverse. Nothing. My girlfriend took the wheel. I tried pushing from the front. The tires just spun. There were no dents in the car, just a few scratches on the front left of the bumper. The ground was soft and the front of the car was stuck on an old rotting piece of wood. I tried pulling the wood out from under the car and the wire, but it wouldn’t budge.
Then an angel appeared. An angel in a white four wheel drive pickup truck. He joined the two vehicles with a thick yellow rope. The truck roared and pulled and the thick yellow rope snapped.
The angel examined the front of the car and diagnosed the problem. It’s that rotten piece of wood. He got the shovel out of the truck bed and started hacking at the wood and digging around it. The wood was rotted but it was too thick and too pinned beneath the car and the barbed wire.
The one tool that the angel needed he didn’t have. A jack. But we had one in the trunk. We took out all of the luggage and found the jack. He jacked up the jack, but it kept sinking into the soft ground. He wiped away the softest earth and put a couple of wooden blocks under the jack and kept at it.
I noticed that he worked quickly but he didn’t seem to be in a rush or in a hurry. When one attempt to free the car failed, he didn’t get upset or frustrated. He just thought of another plan and went to work. Didn’t that guy have somewhere to get to? Was he on his way to work? Why was he on the road? And why was he so willing to spend so much time helping us? It seemed like the only thing that mattered to him was helping us. He never looked at his watch. He never criticized us for spinning off the road. He was nothing but kind and helpful.
He got the wood out from under the tire, then he broke some small pieces off and put them behind the tire to give some friction. He pushed on the front of the car and my girlfriend put it in reverse. The car rolled back and the fence stood up. We were free.
Should I give the guy money? Do angels eat fudge? I didn’t shake his hand; in fact, I don't think I ever even touched him. The closest I came was when he handed me the jack. I didn’t think to ask his name. As we were about to part ways he told us to drive carefully, and he said it sincerely, not sarcastically.
I don’t know what he believes about God and eternity, but I would be surprised if, in the world to come, he’s not close to the throne.
inertia
I got back to my dorm room last night after a nice little tour of western USA. Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, New Mexico, and West Texas. I wanted to write last night but I also didn't want to write. I could tell a bunch of stories right now and say some deep things. But I just don't really feel like it right now. Maybe I'll write those later.
As I was getting on the internet a few minutes ago, something flashed in my head. Inertia. Objects at rest tend to stay at rest, and objects in motion tend to stay in motion. But then friction and various forces fight against inertia. I think I'm pretty inert. And yet I like variety. I like things around me to change or stay the same, but I don't want to change myself or stop what I am doing. I want to be less inert. I don't want to be like a boulder that wont budge or a boulder rolling down a hill that wont stop. But I also don't want to be like a feather in the wind. Maybe more like a kite or a sailboat. Maybe I want to be a canoe; I like canoes.
As I was getting on the internet a few minutes ago, something flashed in my head. Inertia. Objects at rest tend to stay at rest, and objects in motion tend to stay in motion. But then friction and various forces fight against inertia. I think I'm pretty inert. And yet I like variety. I like things around me to change or stay the same, but I don't want to change myself or stop what I am doing. I want to be less inert. I don't want to be like a boulder that wont budge or a boulder rolling down a hill that wont stop. But I also don't want to be like a feather in the wind. Maybe more like a kite or a sailboat. Maybe I want to be a canoe; I like canoes.
Sunday, December 12, 2004
I4I, 2th42th Q&A
Micah commented with this question, so I'll try to answer it:
It's Micah.
I have a question that has been debated about in my Bible class today: It has to do with, "An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth." The topic we were talking about in class was the issue of capital punishment. When Jesus quoted this verse from the Old Testament and then added that what he now says is "turn the other cheek", was he nullifying what was previously written or was he clarifying it? Since Jesus is the WORD, was he contradicting himself? This is kind of a loaded question, but along the lines of "turn the other cheek", did he mean take a beating? What are we supposed to do, or where do we draw the line between defending ourselves and fighting back? Our body is not our own, right? Did Jesus fight back when people spat on his face? If we are supposed to be examples of Christ, how are we supposed to stick up for what is right when someone mistreats us or hurts us? Whatever insight you have is helpful.
Eye for Eye, Tooth for Tooth
There are three passages in the Law that contain the phrase "eye for eye."
Ex. 21:22-25, Lev. 24:17-22, and Deut. 19:16-21
The context of the Exodus and Leviticus passages both start out with people fighting. If the fight was avoided in the first place, then there would be no need for gouging eyes or pulling teeth. But like with divorce, some sacrifices, and other punishment commands, this is sort of a secondary command. It would be best if people would just not break their vows or sin or hurt people, but we do those things, so God says how to deal with it.
The Leviticus passage seems like a list of clear cut statements, but they are actually basic statements that are clarified elsewhere. For example verse 17 seems pretty straight forward; you kill, you die. But Ex. 21:12-14 and Num. 35:9-25 clarify that if a person accidentally kills someone then he can flee to a city of refuge, but for premeditated murder the punishment is death.
The Deuteronomy passage says that false witnesses get punished however the defendant would have been punished.
Capital Punishment
According to Num 35:30, Deut 17:6 and 19:15 two or three people have to be witnesses. These witnesses have to be sure, because according to Deuteronomy 19 they could be put to death if they’re falsely accusing the defendant.
According to Deut 17:7, once the suspect is found guilty, the witnesses have to throw the first stone.
A lot of people think that following the Torah’s judicial system would be barbaric, bloody and cruel. But it is actually more lenient than America’s judicial system. The complaint would not be that the Torah’s judgements are too strict, but too lenient. Mercy triumphs over judgement in the Torah. In how many modern day trials are there two or three witnesses so 100% sure that they would risk their lives to convict the offender?
So I'm for biblical capital punishment, but it's not allowed in America. So if someone were to ask me, "Are you for or against capital punishment?" I would have to say against.
Turn the Other Cheek, etc.
The "Sermon on the Mount" starts out with Jesus saying that he came not to abolish the Law but to fulfill it. In old school Hebraic thought those phrases meant that he came to interpret the Law correctly. And the Greek word for fulfill means to fill to the brim. So in order to fill up, you don’t take things out. He just filled the gaps, not in the Law, but in people’s understanding of the Law. And Jesus warned other people not to teach anyone to break even the least commandment, so why would he himself teach people to break commandments?
Some people say that the stuff Jesus says after the eye for eye thing is subversive submission. That when they struck the first time it was with the back of the hand, so if you turn the other cheek they would have to slap you with the palm, which would mean acknowledging you as an equal. If someone sues you for your tunic and you give them your cloak, then you will be left there naked and will shame them. And if you go the second mile, they were in charge the first mile, but the second mile you’re volunteering, so you’re in charge. These may be right or not.
But I’m going to go back to looking at it judicially. In order to take tooth for tooth, you had to take the guy to court, you couldn’t take the law into your own hands. If a guy punched you and broke your nose, the commandment didn’t require you to break his nose, but if you really wanted to get him back then you could take him to the judges, present your case, and then you might be allowed to break his nose but nothing more.
So Jesus is saying don’t bother with all that. Be the good guy. Don’t stoop to the bad guy’s level. So there's a hint of subversiveness.
I feel like I should bring up the case of the adulterous woman from John 8. Jesus affirmed that her punishment should be stoning. But the scribes and pharisees hadn’t correctly gone through the red tape required for a stoning. So when Jesus said he who is without sin, he might have meant he who has followed the Torah fully in these court proceedings. First of all, they didn’t bring the man. The Law says to put both of them to death, not just one. And it seems like the pharisees might have made a deal with the man, or that they were following around the woman, not wanting to stop her from adultery, but in order to catch her in the act. So in order for the situation to come about the accusers were most likely violating Torah.
So Jesus was consistent with the Law. The Old and New Testament emphasizes mercy. Why fight back? Why not suffer physically and receive spiritual rewards? Why "hurt your witness"? I know those last couple of phrases seem trite. About the line between defending yourself and fighting back, I don’t think scripture gives a hard and fast rule for distinguishing between defense and attacking. It’s one of those things where you have to know your heart and emotions at that time and decide if you’re acting out of fear or anger or if you’re level headed.
Hope this helps. I gotta post and run. More comments and questions are welcomed by me.
It's Micah.
I have a question that has been debated about in my Bible class today: It has to do with, "An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth." The topic we were talking about in class was the issue of capital punishment. When Jesus quoted this verse from the Old Testament and then added that what he now says is "turn the other cheek", was he nullifying what was previously written or was he clarifying it? Since Jesus is the WORD, was he contradicting himself? This is kind of a loaded question, but along the lines of "turn the other cheek", did he mean take a beating? What are we supposed to do, or where do we draw the line between defending ourselves and fighting back? Our body is not our own, right? Did Jesus fight back when people spat on his face? If we are supposed to be examples of Christ, how are we supposed to stick up for what is right when someone mistreats us or hurts us? Whatever insight you have is helpful.
Eye for Eye, Tooth for Tooth
There are three passages in the Law that contain the phrase "eye for eye."
Ex. 21:22-25, Lev. 24:17-22, and Deut. 19:16-21
The context of the Exodus and Leviticus passages both start out with people fighting. If the fight was avoided in the first place, then there would be no need for gouging eyes or pulling teeth. But like with divorce, some sacrifices, and other punishment commands, this is sort of a secondary command. It would be best if people would just not break their vows or sin or hurt people, but we do those things, so God says how to deal with it.
The Leviticus passage seems like a list of clear cut statements, but they are actually basic statements that are clarified elsewhere. For example verse 17 seems pretty straight forward; you kill, you die. But Ex. 21:12-14 and Num. 35:9-25 clarify that if a person accidentally kills someone then he can flee to a city of refuge, but for premeditated murder the punishment is death.
The Deuteronomy passage says that false witnesses get punished however the defendant would have been punished.
Capital Punishment
According to Num 35:30, Deut 17:6 and 19:15 two or three people have to be witnesses. These witnesses have to be sure, because according to Deuteronomy 19 they could be put to death if they’re falsely accusing the defendant.
According to Deut 17:7, once the suspect is found guilty, the witnesses have to throw the first stone.
A lot of people think that following the Torah’s judicial system would be barbaric, bloody and cruel. But it is actually more lenient than America’s judicial system. The complaint would not be that the Torah’s judgements are too strict, but too lenient. Mercy triumphs over judgement in the Torah. In how many modern day trials are there two or three witnesses so 100% sure that they would risk their lives to convict the offender?
So I'm for biblical capital punishment, but it's not allowed in America. So if someone were to ask me, "Are you for or against capital punishment?" I would have to say against.
Turn the Other Cheek, etc.
The "Sermon on the Mount" starts out with Jesus saying that he came not to abolish the Law but to fulfill it. In old school Hebraic thought those phrases meant that he came to interpret the Law correctly. And the Greek word for fulfill means to fill to the brim. So in order to fill up, you don’t take things out. He just filled the gaps, not in the Law, but in people’s understanding of the Law. And Jesus warned other people not to teach anyone to break even the least commandment, so why would he himself teach people to break commandments?
Some people say that the stuff Jesus says after the eye for eye thing is subversive submission. That when they struck the first time it was with the back of the hand, so if you turn the other cheek they would have to slap you with the palm, which would mean acknowledging you as an equal. If someone sues you for your tunic and you give them your cloak, then you will be left there naked and will shame them. And if you go the second mile, they were in charge the first mile, but the second mile you’re volunteering, so you’re in charge. These may be right or not.
But I’m going to go back to looking at it judicially. In order to take tooth for tooth, you had to take the guy to court, you couldn’t take the law into your own hands. If a guy punched you and broke your nose, the commandment didn’t require you to break his nose, but if you really wanted to get him back then you could take him to the judges, present your case, and then you might be allowed to break his nose but nothing more.
So Jesus is saying don’t bother with all that. Be the good guy. Don’t stoop to the bad guy’s level. So there's a hint of subversiveness.
I feel like I should bring up the case of the adulterous woman from John 8. Jesus affirmed that her punishment should be stoning. But the scribes and pharisees hadn’t correctly gone through the red tape required for a stoning. So when Jesus said he who is without sin, he might have meant he who has followed the Torah fully in these court proceedings. First of all, they didn’t bring the man. The Law says to put both of them to death, not just one. And it seems like the pharisees might have made a deal with the man, or that they were following around the woman, not wanting to stop her from adultery, but in order to catch her in the act. So in order for the situation to come about the accusers were most likely violating Torah.
So Jesus was consistent with the Law. The Old and New Testament emphasizes mercy. Why fight back? Why not suffer physically and receive spiritual rewards? Why "hurt your witness"? I know those last couple of phrases seem trite. About the line between defending yourself and fighting back, I don’t think scripture gives a hard and fast rule for distinguishing between defense and attacking. It’s one of those things where you have to know your heart and emotions at that time and decide if you’re acting out of fear or anger or if you’re level headed.
Hope this helps. I gotta post and run. More comments and questions are welcomed by me.
Friday, December 10, 2004
12-10-04
I was going to write something deep and profound. It just didn't work out. But I still want to write something.
So I'll take this opportunity to tell you that one week from today I will be in a wedding. I'm the bride's best man. So I will be leaving monday night destined for Utah, making a very important stop in Colorado to see my little bro play basketball.
Tonight I'm going to dinner at some very kind and wonderful people's house. They have six children, the oldest one is 10 and they're not adopted or anything.
I was writing this and cooking lunch at the same time and I think I burnt some pasta.
Oh, and I think I'm going to move some of the posts from my other blog that I don't use anymore over to here.
So I'll take this opportunity to tell you that one week from today I will be in a wedding. I'm the bride's best man. So I will be leaving monday night destined for Utah, making a very important stop in Colorado to see my little bro play basketball.
Tonight I'm going to dinner at some very kind and wonderful people's house. They have six children, the oldest one is 10 and they're not adopted or anything.
I was writing this and cooking lunch at the same time and I think I burnt some pasta.
Oh, and I think I'm going to move some of the posts from my other blog that I don't use anymore over to here.
Thursday, December 09, 2004
Saturn
I was just old enough to realize that the world does not revolve around me, but still young enough to imagine, to believe that the impossible could be.
I sat in the car and watched the white lines rush toward the hood and shoot out the back window. The highway looked so much like the belt of a treadmill that it seemed possible that just might be how it worked. What if the wheels spinning did not propel the car forward, but pulled the ground backward?
I already knew that the earth was a big spinning ball. And turning a key and pressing a pedal therefore causing tires to spin, which somehow caused the immensely heavy car to move forward seemed just as ridiculous as the tires helping the earth spin a little bit more. From my position in the car it seemed as if the car was the only thing that was not moving.
I knew that to the people standing by the side of the road it looked like the car was moving. But people are used to standing on a spinning earth, so why would anyone notice that the ground was moving backwards because of the car?
The greatest blow to my Theory of the Treadmill Earth was the problem of all the other vehicles on the road going different speeds. I realized that if all of the cars pulled their own section of ground back at different speeds then the ground would tear like a big napkin. I postulated that maybe one car did all of the pulling and the other cars just rolled along without much effort. But how could one determine which car was actually doing the pulling? It would probably have to be the fastest car. The fastest car gets the treadmill going and the others just try to keep up.
But then I realized that this would mean that the slower cars were actually being moved forward by their wheels. And from my perspective the car would either be going forward or pulling the earth backward depending on whether or not it was the fastest car. My theory was not internally consistent. I believed my mind’s invention for a minute, but then I realized that it was wrong so I scrapped it.
I sometimes still want the world to revolve around me. I wonder if maybe somehow it revolves around each individual person.
Maybe every person has their own world; a distinct set of combinations of friends, experiences, thoughts and perceptions unique from anyone else. Maybe at each moment each person’s world has a sun that it revolves around.
In a delivery room worlds revolve around a woman. The husband’s planet rotates and revolves a little faster than the rest. A moment later every world, including the mother’s, revolves around a crying sun, and the planet called husband is renamed daddy. At a wedding the bride and groom are the sun. I remember a night a few months ago when stones were hurtling around Marcos and 2 hours and two thousand dollars later we were relieved that he would be at school another semester and nothing else mattered.
I’m still young enough to believe in what could be. I want to understand and explain things that are beyond my reach. But I’ll keep making up theories, and testing them. I hold on to what makes sense and even to what doesn’t. Sit back and soak in the wonder of mystery and miracle.
I sat in the car and watched the white lines rush toward the hood and shoot out the back window. The highway looked so much like the belt of a treadmill that it seemed possible that just might be how it worked. What if the wheels spinning did not propel the car forward, but pulled the ground backward?
I already knew that the earth was a big spinning ball. And turning a key and pressing a pedal therefore causing tires to spin, which somehow caused the immensely heavy car to move forward seemed just as ridiculous as the tires helping the earth spin a little bit more. From my position in the car it seemed as if the car was the only thing that was not moving.
I knew that to the people standing by the side of the road it looked like the car was moving. But people are used to standing on a spinning earth, so why would anyone notice that the ground was moving backwards because of the car?
The greatest blow to my Theory of the Treadmill Earth was the problem of all the other vehicles on the road going different speeds. I realized that if all of the cars pulled their own section of ground back at different speeds then the ground would tear like a big napkin. I postulated that maybe one car did all of the pulling and the other cars just rolled along without much effort. But how could one determine which car was actually doing the pulling? It would probably have to be the fastest car. The fastest car gets the treadmill going and the others just try to keep up.
But then I realized that this would mean that the slower cars were actually being moved forward by their wheels. And from my perspective the car would either be going forward or pulling the earth backward depending on whether or not it was the fastest car. My theory was not internally consistent. I believed my mind’s invention for a minute, but then I realized that it was wrong so I scrapped it.
I sometimes still want the world to revolve around me. I wonder if maybe somehow it revolves around each individual person.
Maybe every person has their own world; a distinct set of combinations of friends, experiences, thoughts and perceptions unique from anyone else. Maybe at each moment each person’s world has a sun that it revolves around.
In a delivery room worlds revolve around a woman. The husband’s planet rotates and revolves a little faster than the rest. A moment later every world, including the mother’s, revolves around a crying sun, and the planet called husband is renamed daddy. At a wedding the bride and groom are the sun. I remember a night a few months ago when stones were hurtling around Marcos and 2 hours and two thousand dollars later we were relieved that he would be at school another semester and nothing else mattered.
I’m still young enough to believe in what could be. I want to understand and explain things that are beyond my reach. But I’ll keep making up theories, and testing them. I hold on to what makes sense and even to what doesn’t. Sit back and soak in the wonder of mystery and miracle.
Tuesday, December 07, 2004
School's out for the Winter!
Today I took my last final. I also handed in two really pathetic papers. One of them was supposed to be 8 pages and I managed to squeeze it into less than two. It's better than not turning a paper in at all. But no more classes until January 19. That's right, 6 full weeks!
So I haven't been blogging because of finals. At least that's my excuse. It's not like I've actually been studying or anything. But if I had blogged when I was supposed to be studying then people would know that I was blogging instead of studying.
I've been in a really dungish mood since like Thursday or Friday and I don't know why. I hope that now that school's out, I'll be in a better mood. I think being able to blog would have helped. I had so much stuff I was gonna write about and I was gonna write one big random blog about all these different things that I've been thinking about and that have happened and the title would have had words from the Green Day song that starts out with "Do you have the time to listen to me whine about everything and nothing all at once?"
Last week’s Torah portion as well as this week’s (Genesis 41:1-44:17) have dreams which foretell the future. So it was interesting to me that last week I got a call from a guy who has been a sort of mentor to me. What’s so interesting is that he’s real big into preterism, which is a school of thought that understands the book of Revelation as already having been fulfilled. So after talking to him I started researching preterism and did a little study on theories of interpreting Revalation while at the same time studying Joseph’s interpretation of dreams.
There are three major divisions when it comes to interpreting Revelation. They are preterism, historicism, and futurism.
Most people are only familiar with futurism and spend their time arguing about the particulars within the futurism interpretation. I could try to explain preterism and historicism, but I dont feel like it. Though I do want to know what you think, so click the links above and Google search and tell me what you think. Last I knew, "Mentor" is a partial preterist, which is quite different from a full preterist. This is actually some pretty important stuff, because what you're expecting to happen tomorrow can affect how you live today. It is important to me for several reasons which I might go into some other time.
Blog ya later (or something?)
So I haven't been blogging because of finals. At least that's my excuse. It's not like I've actually been studying or anything. But if I had blogged when I was supposed to be studying then people would know that I was blogging instead of studying.
I've been in a really dungish mood since like Thursday or Friday and I don't know why. I hope that now that school's out, I'll be in a better mood. I think being able to blog would have helped. I had so much stuff I was gonna write about and I was gonna write one big random blog about all these different things that I've been thinking about and that have happened and the title would have had words from the Green Day song that starts out with "Do you have the time to listen to me whine about everything and nothing all at once?"
Last week’s Torah portion as well as this week’s (Genesis 41:1-44:17) have dreams which foretell the future. So it was interesting to me that last week I got a call from a guy who has been a sort of mentor to me. What’s so interesting is that he’s real big into preterism, which is a school of thought that understands the book of Revelation as already having been fulfilled. So after talking to him I started researching preterism and did a little study on theories of interpreting Revalation while at the same time studying Joseph’s interpretation of dreams.
There are three major divisions when it comes to interpreting Revelation. They are preterism, historicism, and futurism.
Most people are only familiar with futurism and spend their time arguing about the particulars within the futurism interpretation. I could try to explain preterism and historicism, but I dont feel like it. Though I do want to know what you think, so click the links above and Google search and tell me what you think. Last I knew, "Mentor" is a partial preterist, which is quite different from a full preterist. This is actually some pretty important stuff, because what you're expecting to happen tomorrow can affect how you live today. It is important to me for several reasons which I might go into some other time.
Blog ya later (or something?)
Wednesday, December 01, 2004
A Seal, A String, and A Stick
One would think that in this Torah portion I would focus on Joseph, but for some reason I am being drawn to the story of Judah and Tamar. I think it's because the story is so strange and because of the Messiah element. Judah and Tamar's son Perez is the great great...grandfather of Jesus.
Gen. 38:18 "He said, 'What pledge shall I give you?' She said, 'Your seal and your cord and your staff that is in your hand.'"
These three items were needed for the conception of the next person in the line of Messiah (Perez) as well as for the preservation of his life (38:25). I think that these three items, as well as the three items in the ark in the Holy of Holies, are a picture of Messiah and his role as priest-king.
The signet/seal: Hebrew - Chotam. This word is used to describe the seal of a king. It is also used to describe the engravings of the names of the twelve tribes of Israel on the jewels on the High Priest's breastplate. It is also used to describe the plate on which is written "Holy to LORD" that goes on the High Priest's forehead.
The cord: Hebrew - Pateel. This word is used for the cords that were used to fasten the breastplate and crown which the High Priest wore. And remember the tzitzit? The blue cord that I said is a picture of Messiah is a blue pateel.
The staff: Hebrew - Mattah/Matteh. Anytime you see staff or branch, it's probably a picture of Messiah. In Jewish thought, The Branch is another word for Messiah. The same word is used for Aaron's staff that budded proving his authority to be High Priest and also proved Moses' authority to lead the people. Moses' staff was used to deliver/save the people of Israel. I'll surely talk a lot more about the staff later.
So there you have it, ancestors and pictures of Messiah.
One more thing.
A central theme in this passage is the law/custom of the "duty of a brother-in-law" or "kinsman redeemer" which is also a theme of the story of Ruth and Boaz. Boaz was a great grandson of Perez and great grandfather of David and therefore in the line of Messiah. And you probably already know how the kinsman redeemer relates to Jesus and his mission. Okay, cool stuff. That's all for now.
Gen. 38:18 "He said, 'What pledge shall I give you?' She said, 'Your seal and your cord and your staff that is in your hand.'"
These three items were needed for the conception of the next person in the line of Messiah (Perez) as well as for the preservation of his life (38:25). I think that these three items, as well as the three items in the ark in the Holy of Holies, are a picture of Messiah and his role as priest-king.
The signet/seal: Hebrew - Chotam. This word is used to describe the seal of a king. It is also used to describe the engravings of the names of the twelve tribes of Israel on the jewels on the High Priest's breastplate. It is also used to describe the plate on which is written "Holy to LORD" that goes on the High Priest's forehead.
The cord: Hebrew - Pateel. This word is used for the cords that were used to fasten the breastplate and crown which the High Priest wore. And remember the tzitzit? The blue cord that I said is a picture of Messiah is a blue pateel.
The staff: Hebrew - Mattah/Matteh. Anytime you see staff or branch, it's probably a picture of Messiah. In Jewish thought, The Branch is another word for Messiah. The same word is used for Aaron's staff that budded proving his authority to be High Priest and also proved Moses' authority to lead the people. Moses' staff was used to deliver/save the people of Israel. I'll surely talk a lot more about the staff later.
So there you have it, ancestors and pictures of Messiah.
One more thing.
A central theme in this passage is the law/custom of the "duty of a brother-in-law" or "kinsman redeemer" which is also a theme of the story of Ruth and Boaz. Boaz was a great grandson of Perez and great grandfather of David and therefore in the line of Messiah. And you probably already know how the kinsman redeemer relates to Jesus and his mission. Okay, cool stuff. That's all for now.
Tuesday, November 30, 2004
At Least
(I started writing this post last night at about 10:30.)
There was plenty of stuff that I could do tonight but there was nothing that I really had to do. Finals start on Friday. But I can think about that later.
I walked through the nasty wind from the cafeteria to my room. I don't feel like doing anything that will require much effort. I have been wanting to get back on the internet and read those stories that highlight the awesome way that Jesus lived and therefore show how we should live. I want to read about what it really means to love my neighbor. I might pause for a few minutes and contemplate how much truth there really is in the statement that people are more important than principles.
This afternoon, as I was reading some of those embellished stories about Jesus and I just had to stop and pray. I was filled with such a keen sense of how uncaring I can be, I desire to be loving, I want opportunities to show love. Lord, I’m just like Judas yelling at that woman for wasting the perfume. Lord, help me to see that the individual in front of me at any given moment is far more valuable than any long range plans I may have. Lord, I desire to see through your eyes to feel that empathy and compassion that moved you to help people when you, in your human form, just wanted some peace and quiet for a moment.
6:30 pm, in my room, warm and safe from the bitter wind. My tummy is full of yummy food that I once again forgot to thank God for. I sat down at my computer. Click the internet explorer button, type in my name and password about 5 times, try to get my media player to play a song without freezing up my computer. Oh, right I’ve been wanting to check my mail too.
Knock, knock, knock.
Ugh. It’s probably somebody wanting to ask one of my roommates something. I just got comfortable. It’s alright, no big deal, just go answer the door, tell them you’re the only one here, then come back and sit down.
I open the door and it’s one of the many Josh’s.
“Hi. Is Phillip here?”
“Nope.” Okay time to close the door and get back to my little world.
“Oh. Um...could I ask you a favor?”
“I dunno. Whaddya want?”
“Well I’m supposed to pick Eric up from the airport at 8 but my alternator’s broken. So I don’t have any way to get there and he doesn’t have any way to get here. So could you drive me to the airport to pick him up?”
What in the world? I don’t want to spend two hours of my evening driving to the airport and back. I have been planning to play on my computer. And that’s what I’m gonna do. This isn’t my problem. Let’s keep it that way. He can find somebody else to take him.
I said some almost half truth like, "I'm kinda busy tonight." Well, I was planning on keeping myself busy doing stuff.
"That's what everyone else said. I've asked eleven people already and none of them could help me."
Stinks for you bud. Keep trying. You’re bound to find somebody who will help you at this big ole Christian University.
All I had to do was say, “Sorry. I wish I could help” and close the door and it would be over with. But I couldn’t say those words. It would be a total lie. I can tell a half truth, but not a flat out lie. If I really felt bad for him and wanted to help then I would. There’s no way I could say “wish I could help” if I didn’t. So now I’ve got to ask myself do I want to help this guy or not. I had already decided that I was worthy of not being interrupted, but the real question was whether or not this guy is worthy of my help.
He saw me pause and took it as a sign of hope. So he continued his pleading. “Eric said he would pay for gas and everything. And I’ll go with you. His airplane gets in at 8, so you wouldn’t have to leave until like 7:15.”
Okay. Think. What do I really have to do tonight. Nothing important. I weighed the balances in my mind the pros and cons. Such an inconvenience, but there is really no good reason for me not to help him. My car already has 160 thousand miles on it, what’s another eighty? I don’t have to pay for the gas. I have to spend a couple of hours different than how I had planned, but it wont be that bad. These guys are pretty cool, so it really wont be like torture.
“Yeah, I could probably help,” I said making sure that the sour look on my face conveyed the fact that I really didn’t want to help, but that I was willing to make this sacrifice for him.
“Thank you so much. You’re a really great guy. I’ll come back by at 7:15, okay?”
“Alright. See ya.”
I closed the door and when the latch clicked, so did my heart and my mind. I have been in the same position as him so many times before. I used to have to beg for rides to get here and there. Back then I promised myself that when I got a car I would look for people who needed rides and offer to give them a lift. I have asked people to help me with some things that a Christian should do without a second thought. Money for a missions trip to China, spending a night to help feed and clothe homeless people in Dallas. I wished that people would do the right thing. Well, now was my chance to do what I had wished that other people would do. My chance to do what I had promised myself I would do if I had the chance. God gave me the opportunity to love my neighbor as myself. I should have jumped at the opportunity with excitement. But no, I needed an attitude adjustment.
Today in chapel they read a book by Max Lucado. I think it was called Jacob's gift. The main point of the book was in the line, "When you give a gift to one of God's children it is as if you have given a gift to God himself."
We have the privilege and the responsibility to give gifts to God in a variety of ways.
It’s the last day of November and what am I thankful for? I’m thankful that God kept me from saying no, which I know I would have regretted. I’m thankful that God continues to give me opportunities to serve him even when I blow it. I’m thankful that God continues to teach me about his amazing Love.
So I went to the airport. It wasn’t that bad. It was even a little fun. Eric paid for gas and even bought me dinner. And I got back with plenty of time left to do nothing. My only regret is that I didn’t immediately say, ”Yes, I’ll go.”
note: As i was posting this (at work), they presented the "Above and Beyond the Call of Duty" award to a girl who almost always has a smile on her face, she actually does care about people and never makes people feel like they are a burden to her. Stacy rocks!
There was plenty of stuff that I could do tonight but there was nothing that I really had to do. Finals start on Friday. But I can think about that later.
I walked through the nasty wind from the cafeteria to my room. I don't feel like doing anything that will require much effort. I have been wanting to get back on the internet and read those stories that highlight the awesome way that Jesus lived and therefore show how we should live. I want to read about what it really means to love my neighbor. I might pause for a few minutes and contemplate how much truth there really is in the statement that people are more important than principles.
This afternoon, as I was reading some of those embellished stories about Jesus and I just had to stop and pray. I was filled with such a keen sense of how uncaring I can be, I desire to be loving, I want opportunities to show love. Lord, I’m just like Judas yelling at that woman for wasting the perfume. Lord, help me to see that the individual in front of me at any given moment is far more valuable than any long range plans I may have. Lord, I desire to see through your eyes to feel that empathy and compassion that moved you to help people when you, in your human form, just wanted some peace and quiet for a moment.
6:30 pm, in my room, warm and safe from the bitter wind. My tummy is full of yummy food that I once again forgot to thank God for. I sat down at my computer. Click the internet explorer button, type in my name and password about 5 times, try to get my media player to play a song without freezing up my computer. Oh, right I’ve been wanting to check my mail too.
Knock, knock, knock.
Ugh. It’s probably somebody wanting to ask one of my roommates something. I just got comfortable. It’s alright, no big deal, just go answer the door, tell them you’re the only one here, then come back and sit down.
I open the door and it’s one of the many Josh’s.
“Hi. Is Phillip here?”
“Nope.” Okay time to close the door and get back to my little world.
“Oh. Um...could I ask you a favor?”
“I dunno. Whaddya want?”
“Well I’m supposed to pick Eric up from the airport at 8 but my alternator’s broken. So I don’t have any way to get there and he doesn’t have any way to get here. So could you drive me to the airport to pick him up?”
What in the world? I don’t want to spend two hours of my evening driving to the airport and back. I have been planning to play on my computer. And that’s what I’m gonna do. This isn’t my problem. Let’s keep it that way. He can find somebody else to take him.
I said some almost half truth like, "I'm kinda busy tonight." Well, I was planning on keeping myself busy doing stuff.
"That's what everyone else said. I've asked eleven people already and none of them could help me."
Stinks for you bud. Keep trying. You’re bound to find somebody who will help you at this big ole Christian University.
All I had to do was say, “Sorry. I wish I could help” and close the door and it would be over with. But I couldn’t say those words. It would be a total lie. I can tell a half truth, but not a flat out lie. If I really felt bad for him and wanted to help then I would. There’s no way I could say “wish I could help” if I didn’t. So now I’ve got to ask myself do I want to help this guy or not. I had already decided that I was worthy of not being interrupted, but the real question was whether or not this guy is worthy of my help.
He saw me pause and took it as a sign of hope. So he continued his pleading. “Eric said he would pay for gas and everything. And I’ll go with you. His airplane gets in at 8, so you wouldn’t have to leave until like 7:15.”
Okay. Think. What do I really have to do tonight. Nothing important. I weighed the balances in my mind the pros and cons. Such an inconvenience, but there is really no good reason for me not to help him. My car already has 160 thousand miles on it, what’s another eighty? I don’t have to pay for the gas. I have to spend a couple of hours different than how I had planned, but it wont be that bad. These guys are pretty cool, so it really wont be like torture.
“Yeah, I could probably help,” I said making sure that the sour look on my face conveyed the fact that I really didn’t want to help, but that I was willing to make this sacrifice for him.
“Thank you so much. You’re a really great guy. I’ll come back by at 7:15, okay?”
“Alright. See ya.”
I closed the door and when the latch clicked, so did my heart and my mind. I have been in the same position as him so many times before. I used to have to beg for rides to get here and there. Back then I promised myself that when I got a car I would look for people who needed rides and offer to give them a lift. I have asked people to help me with some things that a Christian should do without a second thought. Money for a missions trip to China, spending a night to help feed and clothe homeless people in Dallas. I wished that people would do the right thing. Well, now was my chance to do what I had wished that other people would do. My chance to do what I had promised myself I would do if I had the chance. God gave me the opportunity to love my neighbor as myself. I should have jumped at the opportunity with excitement. But no, I needed an attitude adjustment.
Today in chapel they read a book by Max Lucado. I think it was called Jacob's gift. The main point of the book was in the line, "When you give a gift to one of God's children it is as if you have given a gift to God himself."
We have the privilege and the responsibility to give gifts to God in a variety of ways.
It’s the last day of November and what am I thankful for? I’m thankful that God kept me from saying no, which I know I would have regretted. I’m thankful that God continues to give me opportunities to serve him even when I blow it. I’m thankful that God continues to teach me about his amazing Love.
So I went to the airport. It wasn’t that bad. It was even a little fun. Eric paid for gas and even bought me dinner. And I got back with plenty of time left to do nothing. My only regret is that I didn’t immediately say, ”Yes, I’ll go.”
note: As i was posting this (at work), they presented the "Above and Beyond the Call of Duty" award to a girl who almost always has a smile on her face, she actually does care about people and never makes people feel like they are a burden to her. Stacy rocks!
Monday, November 29, 2004
prayd4uth
youth went well. i'm a good teacher. i amazed myself. i think it was good because i prayed first and asked God to teach through me. the whole day was better cuz i prayed more. prayer is good. i should do it more often.
Sunday, November 28, 2004
thanksgiving
So, for thanksgiving i went to kansas to my gramma's and my uncle's. My uncle Mark cooked most of the food and it was the best thanksgiving meal ever. I got to see my cool brother. My dad came back down to Texas with me for a couple of days. Last night we went to chili's and got chips and queso, then we went to Carino's and used our free desert coupon. Joy and i had capuccinos dad had a latte and we all had a desert called cannoli. it was different but yummy. tonight i get to teach the youth group about abraham. well, that's all for now.
Saturday, November 27, 2004
Joseph Sandwich
This week's Torah portion is Genesis 37-40. Like most of the rest of the book of Genesis, it's all about Joseph, except for chapter 38. Chapter 37 ends with Joseph being sold to Potiphar and chapter 39 picks up with Joseph in Potiphar's house, but chapter 38 is stuck in there and it's all about Judah and his sons and his daughter in law and craziness. But out of the whole incident Perez and Zerah end up being born. Perez is an ancestor of David and therefore of Messiah. So this is a pretty important incident. I just wonder why it's stuck right where it is in the middle of Joseph entering Potiphar's house.
If anyone's reading my blog say "I"
If anyone's reading my blog say "I"
Tuesday, November 23, 2004
Saturday, November 20, 2004
spisical
This week's Torah portion will be Genesis 32:3 - 36:43.
Now I'm going to talk a little about this last week's portion and respond to Anonymous's comment in "l-i-v-e e-t-e-r-n-a-l-l-y"
Jacob has a dream and sees angels ascending and descending on a ladder connecting heaven and earth.
So, angels, are they physical or spiritual? Spiritual, but they have physical attributes. They can be seen and heard. They can touch things. What kind of body does God have? Do we know? He is spirit. But is that all? Was Jesus any less God by having a physical body? Or should we accept the heresy that he only seemed physical?
I am not saying that we are going to be resurrected and be exactly the way we are now. No, we will be changed. Imperfect will become perfect. But must we be changed into something so radically different from how we were originally created? God created the physical world and called it good. Gnosticism calls the spiritual good and the physical bad. Buddhism seeks release from the confines of the physical. But the ladder connecting heaven and earth, Jesus, walked the earth as a physical person, died a physical death, and was physically resurrected.
What do we know? How does one divide between the physical and spiritual? Is breath physical or spiritual? Are words physical or spiritual? Thoughts, emotions, love, greed... physical or spiritual?
Now I'm going to talk a little about this last week's portion and respond to Anonymous's comment in "l-i-v-e e-t-e-r-n-a-l-l-y"
Jacob has a dream and sees angels ascending and descending on a ladder connecting heaven and earth.
So, angels, are they physical or spiritual? Spiritual, but they have physical attributes. They can be seen and heard. They can touch things. What kind of body does God have? Do we know? He is spirit. But is that all? Was Jesus any less God by having a physical body? Or should we accept the heresy that he only seemed physical?
I am not saying that we are going to be resurrected and be exactly the way we are now. No, we will be changed. Imperfect will become perfect. But must we be changed into something so radically different from how we were originally created? God created the physical world and called it good. Gnosticism calls the spiritual good and the physical bad. Buddhism seeks release from the confines of the physical. But the ladder connecting heaven and earth, Jesus, walked the earth as a physical person, died a physical death, and was physically resurrected.
What do we know? How does one divide between the physical and spiritual? Is breath physical or spiritual? Are words physical or spiritual? Thoughts, emotions, love, greed... physical or spiritual?
Thursday, November 18, 2004
sigh
i have a little bit of time now, except actually i still have a bunch of stuff i should be doing. so, my little bro is a talented star. he's warbucks in Annie. but i cant see it cus im down in texas and he's in colorado. man im tired.
Saturday, November 13, 2004
l-i-v-e e-t-e-r-n-a-l-l-y
This week's Torah portion will be Genesis 28:10-32:2.
I'll probably write something about it later. But now I'm going to talk about a different topic that relates to what I wrote a few posts ago.
When Jesus was resurrected was he a ghost or did he have a physical body?
When we're all resurrected, is it going to be a physical resurrection? Does it matter? Or does it affect how we live now whether we are looking forward to a physical or a non-physical future? Why is there a physical world?
Is heaven a place where we bask in God’s goodness in an entirely spiritual realm and feel happy and awed all of the time? Is that what we were created for?
It seems that Adam and Eve were supposed to live eternally on the earth. Adam’s job was to cultivate and keep the garden (Gen 2:15), and to rule over the animals (Gen 1:26), and to have offspring (Gen 1:28). After the fall, it got harder to work the land (Gen 3:17-19). So before the fall, we may assume, it was easier than it is now to be a farmer. But that’s what Adam was created to be. What if Adam had not sinned? What if "the fall" had never happened? What if they had never died? Would God have, at some point, turned them into spiritual, non-physical beings and taken them to live forever in heaven?
God created a physical world. And he created man a physical being. So why do we think that our ultimate destiny is completely non-physical?
Maybe heaven is a place of nothing but worship, but not the kind of worship that is singing and soaking in the divine glow. Maybe it’s the kind of worship that is a life of living, gardening, and working with God.
What if, as you were dying, you heard God whisper in your ear, “I’m proud of you. You completed your mission. I made you to do a certain thing and you did it. Good job. Now you’re done. Totally finished. There’s nothing more after this.” Would you be satisfied that you had done what God wanted? Or would you feel cheated that you don’t get more of a reward besides God saying, “good job”? Should you feel satisfied with that? Or are we supposed to desire something more?
Maybe the something more that we desire isn’t to lazily pass our days in paradise, but to work with God in something purposeful.
If we were created to worship God, do we have the right idea of what worship is?
We are left on the earth for a reason. We are not to just worship God hiding in a corner being super spiritual. We are to get dirty and serve. We need to be who we are supposed to be - beings created in God’s image – dynamic and creative, not serene and boring.
I'll probably write something about it later. But now I'm going to talk about a different topic that relates to what I wrote a few posts ago.
When Jesus was resurrected was he a ghost or did he have a physical body?
When we're all resurrected, is it going to be a physical resurrection? Does it matter? Or does it affect how we live now whether we are looking forward to a physical or a non-physical future? Why is there a physical world?
Is heaven a place where we bask in God’s goodness in an entirely spiritual realm and feel happy and awed all of the time? Is that what we were created for?
It seems that Adam and Eve were supposed to live eternally on the earth. Adam’s job was to cultivate and keep the garden (Gen 2:15), and to rule over the animals (Gen 1:26), and to have offspring (Gen 1:28). After the fall, it got harder to work the land (Gen 3:17-19). So before the fall, we may assume, it was easier than it is now to be a farmer. But that’s what Adam was created to be. What if Adam had not sinned? What if "the fall" had never happened? What if they had never died? Would God have, at some point, turned them into spiritual, non-physical beings and taken them to live forever in heaven?
God created a physical world. And he created man a physical being. So why do we think that our ultimate destiny is completely non-physical?
Maybe heaven is a place of nothing but worship, but not the kind of worship that is singing and soaking in the divine glow. Maybe it’s the kind of worship that is a life of living, gardening, and working with God.
What if, as you were dying, you heard God whisper in your ear, “I’m proud of you. You completed your mission. I made you to do a certain thing and you did it. Good job. Now you’re done. Totally finished. There’s nothing more after this.” Would you be satisfied that you had done what God wanted? Or would you feel cheated that you don’t get more of a reward besides God saying, “good job”? Should you feel satisfied with that? Or are we supposed to desire something more?
Maybe the something more that we desire isn’t to lazily pass our days in paradise, but to work with God in something purposeful.
If we were created to worship God, do we have the right idea of what worship is?
We are left on the earth for a reason. We are not to just worship God hiding in a corner being super spiritual. We are to get dirty and serve. We need to be who we are supposed to be - beings created in God’s image – dynamic and creative, not serene and boring.
Thursday, November 11, 2004
two sides of the same coin?
The knowledge of good and evil or rather our tendency to distinguish them is a corruption. As beings who would see from the proper perspective, we would not be so obsessed with that distinction. Famine, rain, light and dark all come from God. What we would consider good or evil all find their ultimate source in God. Satan is not God's arch-rival, but as we see in Job, he is the accuser, a servant of God who tests and tempts humans. Judas, whom we would classify in the evil category, should not be so classified since he was a tool to bring about God's will. The crucifixion, was it good or bad? It was bad in that it was the murder of the Righteous One. But ultimately it is viewed as a good thing. Fast forward. Civil War- good or bad? many died, but the slaves were freed. What if things that we view as bad are really accomplishing God's purpose such as judgement or making his people stronger. Maybe the problem of the Fall in the Garden was that the Human's view of the world became split into seeing good and evil, instead of seeing everything the way we should, as coming from God.
Do you agree or disagree?
Do you agree or disagree?
Wednesday, November 10, 2004
Israel and Edom
Jacob and Esau both had alternate names.
Jacob got his name changed to Israel because he wrestled with God and wouldn't quit until he received a blessing, even though he got tired and injured.
Esau was called Edom, which means red, not because he had red hair, but because of how much he wanted some "red stuff."
When Esau asked for some of that red stuff that Jacob was cooking and Jacob told him give me your birthright first, Esau's response was, "I'm gonna die, what do i need my invisible birthright for?"
Jacob was concerned with getting things that matter. Esau just wanted whatever he felt like at the moment. Edom’s philosophy was, “eat drink and be merry for tomorrow we die.” The descendants of Israel have a different approach to the immanence of death with the phrase, “repent one day before you die.”
So later when they go to Isaac to get their blessings and the whole famous thing happens, Esau gets really mad. He had earlier freely given up his rightful blessing, but now he was mad because he saw that Jacob had it. How childish. I don’t want it, but you cant have it.
As it says in Galatians 6 each one should test his own actions without comparing himself to someone else.
Jacob got his name changed to Israel because he wrestled with God and wouldn't quit until he received a blessing, even though he got tired and injured.
Esau was called Edom, which means red, not because he had red hair, but because of how much he wanted some "red stuff."
When Esau asked for some of that red stuff that Jacob was cooking and Jacob told him give me your birthright first, Esau's response was, "I'm gonna die, what do i need my invisible birthright for?"
Jacob was concerned with getting things that matter. Esau just wanted whatever he felt like at the moment. Edom’s philosophy was, “eat drink and be merry for tomorrow we die.” The descendants of Israel have a different approach to the immanence of death with the phrase, “repent one day before you die.”
So later when they go to Isaac to get their blessings and the whole famous thing happens, Esau gets really mad. He had earlier freely given up his rightful blessing, but now he was mad because he saw that Jacob had it. How childish. I don’t want it, but you cant have it.
As it says in Galatians 6 each one should test his own actions without comparing himself to someone else.
Saturday, November 06, 2004
This week's Torah portion is Genesis 25:19-28:9. It's all about Jacob and Esau.
I've got a pondering question. In 25:23 Rabekah is told that her older son will serve the younger, but then in chapter 27 she feels the need to make this prophecy come true, so she plots the famous deception with the goat hair on Jacob's arms and everything. Isaac, in 27:29, blesses Jacob that Esau (the older) would serve Jacob (the younger). Now, what if Rabekah had not orchestrated the plan that got Jacob blessed? What if Esau had come in and brought the soup to Isaac? Would Esau have gotten the blessing that Isaac gave Jacob? Was all of this trickery already taken into acount when the prophecy was made in chapter 25? Could the chapter 25 prophecy have still been fulfilled if all of this deception had not taken place?
I've got a pondering question. In 25:23 Rabekah is told that her older son will serve the younger, but then in chapter 27 she feels the need to make this prophecy come true, so she plots the famous deception with the goat hair on Jacob's arms and everything. Isaac, in 27:29, blesses Jacob that Esau (the older) would serve Jacob (the younger). Now, what if Rabekah had not orchestrated the plan that got Jacob blessed? What if Esau had come in and brought the soup to Isaac? Would Esau have gotten the blessing that Isaac gave Jacob? Was all of this trickery already taken into acount when the prophecy was made in chapter 25? Could the chapter 25 prophecy have still been fulfilled if all of this deception had not taken place?
Thursday, November 04, 2004
physically comment
I haven't posted a real post for a while. I guess I've been busy.
I don't remember what started it, but lately I've been doing a lot of thinking and reading about the traditional Christian understanding of heaven, and also about the similarities among certain branches of Buddhism, Gnosticism, and Jewish Mysticism and certain traditional Christian philosophies regarding the physical vs. the spiritual.
Does our ultimate goal or destiny require becoming completely non-physical?
Do we sin primarily because we are physical beings in a physical world?
Is it our future hope that we join God in spiritual bliss free from the confines of physicality?
Feel free to comment. I have fixed it up so that you don't even have to sign in. When the sign in screen pops up, you can click "Or Post Anonymously"
I don't remember what started it, but lately I've been doing a lot of thinking and reading about the traditional Christian understanding of heaven, and also about the similarities among certain branches of Buddhism, Gnosticism, and Jewish Mysticism and certain traditional Christian philosophies regarding the physical vs. the spiritual.
Does our ultimate goal or destiny require becoming completely non-physical?
Do we sin primarily because we are physical beings in a physical world?
Is it our future hope that we join God in spiritual bliss free from the confines of physicality?
Feel free to comment. I have fixed it up so that you don't even have to sign in. When the sign in screen pops up, you can click "Or Post Anonymously"
Tuesday, November 02, 2004
rant
i'm sick. im tired. the snot in my head is giving me a head-ache. i'm just going to whine about stuff now. why do people say "bless you" after somebody sneezes. it doesn't make any sense to me. the most logical explanation i've heard about why people say that was from Milhouse on The Simpsons, "when you sneeze, that's your soul trying to escape. Then when people say 'bless you' it shoves your soul back in." (or something like that). a jewish woman i know says a yiddish phrase when people sneeze and it means something like, "may you have good health." so i guess it might make some sense if people saying "bless you" mean "may you be blessed with health." but i dont think that's what they mean. whatever.
the election is a big thing now. people are checking the polls every few minutes. why? just wait till the votes are in and find out who won. why does it matter that you know who's ahead by how much when it could all change in a couple of hours?
i'll stop now.
the election is a big thing now. people are checking the polls every few minutes. why? just wait till the votes are in and find out who won. why does it matter that you know who's ahead by how much when it could all change in a couple of hours?
i'll stop now.
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