Blog Culture

Just a simple thought that I had today:  It seems that with blog culture, or at least in my experience with it, you are encouraged to write frequently and provide new, exciting content that readers will want to keep coming back for.  You are also encouraged to speak your mind.  This seems quite opposite from wisdom, which would be quiet, observant, and would only speak when necessary.

Consider these verses:

“A fool uttereth all his mind: but a wise man keepeth it in till afterwards.” (Proverbs 29:11)

“Even a fool, when he holdeth his peace, is counted wise: and he that shutteth his lips is esteemed a man of understanding.” ( Proverbs 17:28 )

Wisdom is what seems to be a paradox to humanity.

Past, Present, Future } Christianity

    Our God, the God of the Bible, is the God of all things past, present, and future.  He created all things.  He is the Alpha.  He is the uncaused cause of all that we know.  We can take much comfort in this thought, for the God who created the universe also cares for us.  His care toward us leads me to the fact that He is the God of the present as well.  Not only did God exist in all times past, He exists in the constant present, drawing us ever closer in our walk toward Him, and wooing the lost to come in as sons and daughters through Christ.  He actively hears our prayers.  He is aware of the pains and the sorrows that we face in this sin-affected world with our sin-affected bodies.  There is comfort found there.  Also, God is the God of the future.  He is the Omega, the End.  Only He has the right to end things as they are, as He sees fit.  God is the Victorious Warrior over sin, and the punishment for the evil one has been spelled out.  As sure as we, in our broken bodies, will one day face our appointment with death and then be judged, the great deciever will meet his end at the hand of the LORD.  God has reigned from the beginning, He continues to reign, and He will reign in the future forever.  Amen!!!

    As God Himself is the God of all things past, present and future, it is rightly reflected as such in His word, the Bible.  In the Bible, we have a historical account of the dealings of God with man.  We understand why things are as they are through history, which in turn provides us with a clear worldview by which we live.  The stories of the dealings of God with man hit home, because we can see certain qualities of ourselves in the characters of the Old Testament.  Namely, the brokenness of man that is common to all.  It is a comfort to know that God cares about the broken.  By relating the past to ourselves in the Present, and through the active work of the Holy Spirit on our lives, the Bible is a book of the present as well.  Amazingly, although this book is thousands of years old, it still pierces to the heart of sinful man, drawing men to come to faith in Christ.  God has spelled out the future for us in the Bible as well.  It is through the reading of His word that we understand our gift of eternal life and the punishment that will come to those who reject Him.  We understand that the enemy has already been defeated, because God has decreed it to be so.  And now, we wait, and we look, and most importantly, we work.

    Thus, as God is the God of all things past, present, and future, and as His word reflects all three, it only makes since that we, as God’s children, should be concerned with the past, present, and future as well.  Personally, I would venture to say that most of my life is spent in the present-past, immediate present, or the present-future.  Basically, most of my attention is turned toward the events that have happened, are happening, or will happen in a week or so.  I truly think that this is a problem that I have.  How would my life be different if I considered the far past in relation to today more often?  How would my life be affected if I considered the far future, even unto death, and the promise of God of eternal life after death, and yet even the judgement of God?  I think that focusing on such things cannot help but change the way that we live out our lives in the present.  Now, there is also work to be done in the present.  And there is joy to be found in life and in rest in the present.  My case is simply that I do not spend nearly enough time thinking about the past or the future.

    On a personal note, I am truly benefitted in my own life to stop and think about some of the great memories of times past and the hopes of the time future.  God has blessed my life richly.  I have had a wonderful life so far, and I look forward to what God will do with my flawed person in the future as He sanctifies and draws me to Himself. 

    Mostly, though, I praise God today for rest.  Rest in things past, rest in present troubles, and rest in life eternal.  Glory to God in the Highest!

A Response to Newsweek: On Biblical Gay Marriage

A person whom I hold in high regard wrote a letter to the editor of Newsweek concerning the editorial of the December 15th, 2008 issue.  The current issue is, of course, attempting to prove a Bible-based rationale behind homosexual marriage.  In Mr. Crowson’s words, “Since I doubt they will publish it, here it is for your enjoyment.”  So, quoted verbatim from his facebook page, here is the letter.  Feel free to discuss below.

“The Gospel According to Newsweek…Or Something Like That“

“Here is a note I just sent to Newsweek about their December 15, 2008 issue in which they attempt to show that the Bible is for homosexual marriage. Since I doubt they will publish it, here it is for your enjoyment:

For years, people who took the Bible’s teaching seriously, and opposed things such as gay marriage were told, “Keep your Bible out of our policies!” To mention anything from holy scripture in an otherwise civilized conversation brought hysterical cries of “Separation of Church and State!” or “You can’t legislate morality!”

And now Newsweek tells us it is OK to bring the Bible into public debate, as long as it is brought in on the “progressive” side. Imagine that — Newsweek a trustworthy source of sound theology. Who knew? Jon Meacham’s editorial comment about perverting Scripture (“The Devil, as Shakespeare once noted, can cite Scripture for his purpose….”) is especially ironic, in light of the twisting and turning that was to follow, in an article straight from the Stretch Armstrong translation, no doubt.

“The Bible endorses slavery….” Oh, really? I question that. Slavery has been a human institution for a very long time. The Bible sheds light on how believers can live and try to honor God in societies that tolerate things that are truly evil, such as slavery. Nowhere does it endorse it. The article pointedly leaves out the fact that it was believers who were “over represented” in the fight against slavery.

The marriages we see in the Old and New Testaments often fall short of what the Bible otherwise teaches about marriage. Believers have known that for years, and have taken inspiration from the way in which God works His perfect ways with such imperfect people, even more evidence that the record of Scripture was not invented to brag about its “heroes.” Fortunately, The Gospel According to Newsweek is here to save us. In an effort truly worthy of any freshman or sophomore essay, it jumps to the only conclusion to be tolerated in an enlightened age: “What God’s people through the ages have understood has been all wrong. Lucky for you we are here to clear the air and to set things straight.”

Whatever one may make of homosexual practices and relationships, they are not marriage. Marriage patterns in actual cultures and history have always been heterosexual, even among cultures who knew nothing of the Bible (and please, spare us the anecdotal aberrations, as though somehow finding a mushroom on a golf course negates the fact that the course is supposed to be grass). The Trinitarian view of God displays both unity and diversity in relationships. We are told that God created man, male and female, in His image. Much of this mystery challenges our understanding, but it is easy to see that heterosexual unions reflect that image and diversity in a manner totally impossible for homosexual unions.

People deal with all manner of “natural” inclinations that Scripture warns us to flee. Some people seem born to infidelity, while others battle greed, anger, theft, gossip, and any number of other evil things, including homosexuality. The message of the Bible, properly understood, frees us from the power of these natural, though deadly, desires.

But we love each other! How truly ignorant we have become when we can no longer distinguish between love and libido. True love desires what is best for the other. How can it be best for the one I love to bind him or her in a relationship that is truly unnatural, and under divine condemnation? The object of my affection in this case can be the cute guy down the hall, or my neighbor’s wife. They’re both off limits. To pursue either one is to bind them to me in an illicit relationship. Not content to simmer in my own sin, I insist on dragging them down with me, and slapping on the l-o-v-e label as justification. Such is the New Gospel of Newsweek.

No thanks. The original still works just fine.”

-Allan Crowson

What’s In A Name?

My birth name is Daniel.  When I was younger, I remember going into Christian bookstores and looking at all of the different name tag trinkets.  Many of them had a name listed, along with the Hebrew meaning of the name.  Not suprisingly, I looked mine up and found out that Daniel means “God is my Judge.”  When I was a child, I did not understand this entirely.  I mean, sure, I understood the basics behind judgement and grace, but nothing of the deeper implications of what they meant.

I am realizing more and more the necessity for me, and for many other Christians, to say as a matter of fact that “God is my Judge” or even “God is our Judge” and finally ”God is the Judge.”

All too often, Christians are criticized for being judgemental toward others.  The conservative church is characterized by self-righteousness and intolerance instead of love and compassion.  Here’s a great example, which I’m sure many of you have heard.  In the book unChristian, research shows that these percentages of people outside of the church believe that Christians are:

* antihomosexual 91%
* judgmental 87%
* hypocritical 85%
* old-fashioned 78%
* too political 75%
* out of touch with reality 72%
* insensitive to others 70%
* boring 68%

Notice that the top three things on the list directly relate to the judgement of others.  So I think: What right do I have to criticize someone of wrongdoing when I myself am guilty of wrongdoing every single day (if not in deed, in thought)?  It’s quite simply the pot calling the kettle black.  Also, my definition of wrongdoing might differ from someone else’s definition of wrongdoing, because not everyone believes in the Bible as the Word of God.  And even of those who claim to believe in the Bible, not everyone believes that it is inspired in plenary verbal form, which in effect allows for personal interpretation to cloud the intent of the Bible’s message, if you even believe that the authors of the Bible had an intent to begin with.

I do know this, though.  When it comes to matters of accountability for sin, I am accountable to no man, but to God.  God is my judge.  I believe, based on the Bible, that we will all give an account for our lives, even for every idle word that is spoken.  I have no right to condemn my fellow man, but I do have an obligation to bring my fellow man into the knowledge of the good news of Christianity:  That there is forgiveness found at the foot of the cross of Christ!  I am not ashamed of this message, for it is the power of God unto salvation.

I cannot judge a person’s righteousness or lack thereof, but God can.  He is the one Just Judge, and He alone defines morality.  No man is accountable to anyone else other than Him.  My only goal is to bring people face to face with the Scripture, as I myself was brought into contact with it.  Sure, it’s offensive.  It hurts our human pride, because we want to think we’re basically good.  The prophet Isaiah even considers our good deeds to be polluted garments in the sight of God’s pure Holiness.  The scripture reveals to us who we really are: sinful humans in need of a Savior.  But…ultimately, what a person does with the gospel is up to them.  I am just thankful for the opportunity to preach it and to try and live it out as God works on me.

Hebrews 9:27,28 – “Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.”

Christianity and the Movies

I was reading reviews on a movie that I saw around a year ago.  You’ve probably heard of it: There Will Be Blood, which stars Daniel Day Lewis, who plays a greedy oil prospector in the early twentieth century.  I honestly had mixed feelings about viewing this movie before I actually did watch it.  “It’s anti-Christian!” some said.  Others were just opposed to the idea of lots of blood in a movie, although the fact is, there really isn’t that much (at least, compared to some of the torture porn movies…aka Saw series…favorited by many these days…yikes).  What I found after viewing it was a really good, thought provoking movie about greed and evil human nature.  If you want an excellent review from a Christian perspective, check out this one that was posted to the Christianity Today online magazine.  He came to the same conclusion that I did:  I wouldn’t recommend it for those who have impressionable ideas about Christianity, since Christian faith is not overtly represented in a positive way.  The guy that wrote this review is Jeffrey Overstreet, who is a Christian film reviewer and author.  You should most definitely check out this interview that he had with Christianity Today.  They asked some hard questions, and he had some very good answers:  Studying the Silver Screen: An Interview With Jeffrey Overstreet.

This brings up an excellent question though, and I’m sure that it’s one that you have struggled with as well if you are a Christian:  What movies are acceptable to watch as a Christian, and why should a Christian watch movies anyway?

Obviously, I can’t answer that question for everyone.  I have wrestled with this issue before though.  I really like what Overstreet said (in the above interview – bottom of the first page) in reply to a question about offenses to the conscience through the viewing of film:

“I’m learning to proceed with caution, but I’m also learning to reject the approach I learned growing up in the church. I want to quit lamenting culture and start engaging it. We need to approach movies the way we approach people. Jesus and the apostles got involved with messed-up people all the time and walked in to some of the most pagan places. But they did so with discernment, conscience, discipline, and, above all, grace.”

Right on, Jeffrey!  I usually come to the same conclusion that I always do when I think about such things, and that is this:  Perhaps the best way to live life is not in a state of extremity, but rather in a state of continual temperance through God-given wisdom and prudence.

A Few Words on Shane Claiborne

I had the chance to hear Shane Claiborne, the author of The Irresistible Revolution and coauthor of Jesus For President, speak tonight at Lipscomb University in Nashville.  For the most part, I had to agree with (and was convicted by) the general concepts that he presented.  His ideas are quite simple and are based on the Biblical commandments to love God and love your neighbor.  I do have a few observations, however.  Feel free to discuss them, as they are all relatively fresh on my mind.  I will revise them as I think more about the subject.

1) Is free market capitalism really such a bad idea after all?  The introduction video to his message seemed to look down upon those who participate in the stock market (targeting Wall Street as a societal problem?).  Are not investment and smart money management considered to be wise actions?  A great example of the good that can come of such an economic system is none other than the work of Bill Gates himself.  For instance, did you know that the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has generated $38.7 billion in dowry for the worldwide enhancement of healthcare and to work toward eliminating extreme poverty?  Do you think that such a generous donation could be possible in a different economic system?  I guess my point is, even though some rich people make entirely wrong and greedy decisions with their wealth, that is no excuse to throw out the entire economic machine.  The problem isn’t with statistics, or who has what, but rather with how those use what they have.  Unfortunately, you can’t force people to do good things.  And why should you even expect non-Christian people to behave like perfect Christians?  It seems nonsensical to expect such.

2) Should I feel bad about living modestly and frugally as a stereotypical middle class, white American?  I believe that I can be a good example of Christianity to others by a) giving generously without living extravagantly and b) managing what I do have well and being a good steward of what has been given to me by God.  I mean, what kind of husband would I be if I generously gave away more money than we had and missed electricity bill or rent payments?  To me, it’s not as much an issue about every single person selling everything and living as a ragamuffin community, but it’s about the heart of each and every individual.  I just don’t believe that Jesus’s command to the rich young ruler to sell all that he had, give it to the poor, and follow Him was a direct command to every Christian.  The point of the passage is that the young man had his priorities set on wealth and things.  If you find that most of your resources are being spent selfishly, perhaps it would be a good time to reevaluate your giving.  For instance, instead of buying that guitar loop station you’ve always wanted (yeah, I’m pointing the finger at me…ouch), consider giving a $300 check to missions, or better yet spend it or use it to directly impact the lives of those who you come into contact with on a regular basis.  It’s not really sacrificial giving if there is no personal sacrifice involved.  Sacrifice WANTS though, not NEEDS.  God provides our needs, and sometimes even our wants, but true contentment cannot be found in wanting or having, only in giving and sharing.  It’s a crazy paradox of life that I’m learning more and more about the longer I live.

3) It seemed to me tonight that Claiborne was not an advocate of pure socialism.  Many do not seem to understand his viewpoint, which is that Christians should consider living socially in order to accomplish more for Christ’s kingdom on Earth.  Sometimes the lines do blur though, so perhaps he would do well to define his ideals a bit more clearly.  I plan on reading one or two of his books in the near future to try and grasp just what he imagines Christian communities to be like.

Basically, I don’t believe that democracy and free market capitalism are inherently bad. Perhaps Claiborne does, I’m not sure.  If he does, he’s welcome to disagree.  Certainly America’s economic system does allow for some bad things to happen, yet it also allows for some really good things to happen as well.  It all depends on the good, or bad, people who participate in the system.  On a personal level though, I do think that we should take careful consideration about what things we value, and that’s where I am challenged by Claiborne.  I want others to look at me and my wife and not see just more “greedy Americans” but rather wise stewards who choose to willingly give abundantly to those who have greater needs.

Sometimes…

Sometimes I think about who I have been.  Sometimes I think about the part of me that still is, the part of me that I want to fight against.  Some of the bad choices that I have made, some of the terrible things that I have done or wanted to do, some of the horrible thoughts that have gone through my head, some of the awful words that have escaped my lips.  And I have to wonder…why?  Why should God care about someone so selfish, so undeserving, so flawed?  How can a sinner such as I merit the grace of a perfectly just God?  It’s a mystery to me, one for which I will be eternally grateful.

“Sin and despair like the sea waves cold,
Threaten the soul with infinite loss;
Grace that is greater, yes, grace untold,
Points to the refuge, the mighty cross.”

A Few Facts About Islam

This will be somewhat of a short post.  And no, I have not forgotten about this blog.  All of the following are taken verbatim from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islam.

• In Islamic theology, Jesus was just a man and not the son of God.
• Muslims believe that God revealed the Qur’an to Muhammad, God’s final prophet, through the angel Gabriel, and regard the Qur’an and the Sunnah (words and deeds of Muhammad) as the fundamental sources of Islam. They do not regard Muhammad as the founder of a new religion, but as the restorer of the original monotheistic faith of Abraham, Moses, Jesus, and other prophets. Islamic tradition holds that Jews and Christians distorted the revelations God gave to these prophets by either altering the text, introducing a false interpretation, or both.
• There are between 1 billion and 1.8 billion Muslims, making Islam the second-largest religion in the world, after Christianity.
• Within Islamic jurisprudence, jihad is usually taken to mean military exertion against non-Muslim combatants in the defense or expansion of the Islamic state, the ultimate purpose of which is to universalize Islam. Jihad, the only form of warfare permissible in Islamic law, may be declared against apostates, rebels, highway robbers, violent groups, unIslamic leaders or states which refuse to submit to the authority of Islam. Most Muslims today interpret Jihad as only a defensive form of warfare: the external Jihad includes a struggle to make the Islamic societies conform to the Islamic norms of justice.
• For most Shi’as, offensive jihad can only be declared by a divinely appointed leader of the Muslim community, and as such is suspended since Muhammad al-Mahdi’s occultation in 868 AD.
• The Shi’a, who constitute the second-largest branch of Islam, believe in the political and religious leadership of Imams from the progeny of Ali ibn Abi Talib, who according to most Shi’a are in a state of ismah, meaning infallibility.

From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twelvers:

• Twelver Shi’ism is the largest branch of the Shi’a branch of Islam.
• The Twelver Shi’a faith is predominantly found in Iran (90%) , Iraq (65%), Azerbaijan (75%), Lebanon (35%), Kuwait (35%), Turkey (25%), Saudi Arabia (10-15%)^[1], Bahrain (80%) and form a large minority in Pakistan (20%) and Afghanistan (18%).
• The twelfth and final Imam is Muhammad al-Mahdi, who is believed by the Twelvers to be currently alive, and in hiding.

And finally, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muhammad_al-Mahdi:

• Twelver Shi’as believe that Mahdi was born in 868 and has been hidden by God (referred to as the Occultation) to later emerge with Jesus to fulfill their mission of bringing Justice and Peace to the world.
• Sunni Muslims do not consider the son of Hasan al-Askari to be the Mahdi nor to be in occultation.
• It is said “predictions and lore conscerning the Mahdi abound.” Among them are that the promised Mahdi would be a Caliph of God and that to make a covenant with him is obligatory. He would belong to the House of Muhammad and would be in the line of Imam Hussein. His name would be Muhammad and his family name would be Abul Qasim, his father’s name would be ‘Abdu’llah, and he would appear in Mecca. He would protect the Muslims from destruction and would restore the religion to its original position.

In Prayer Today

Remember to pray today for those who are evacuating from the Texas coastline.  Also, remember our country’s leaders as they deal with political unrest in foreign countries, particularly Russia and Venezuela.  I know these requests might sound rather cliche, but we are supposed to pray for our leaders and for those who are in need.  These are things that I know personally I do not pray for enough, so I’m speaking mainly to myself.

Where Were You on September 11th, 2001?

I posted a blog on my other site that I wanted to link up here as well:

http://randomslant.wordpress.com/2008/09/11/where-were-you-on-september-11th-2001/