The Bible in 90 Days

I am thinking about following this curriculum to read the Bible in 90 days.  

Anyone want to join in?

on the bailout.

This may be surpirsing, but I am glad the bailout did not go through.

My unsolicited opinion is it was simply Pelosi and her gang (and those Republicans who believed her misinformation speech) who were too scared to vote for fear of repercussions in the coming elections (I think there should be a total change over of Congress in the coming election very few if any current folks should be allowed to return) – plus Pelosi hates Goerge Bush so badly she (if I remember correctly) vowed to opposed anything he or the Republicans put through – just for hate’s sake (she didn’t say this but it sure seems like it).  It’s like the whinning spoiled child who can’t be reasoned and insists on getting her own way (however irrational that way is).

The finger pointing and the blame game in all this is just ridiculous- Pelosi and the Dems refuse to acknowledge that the Community Reinvestment Act (which started with Carter) had any role in this mess (“It’s not our fault”).  The Republicans have their own issues.  When there should be less finger pointing and more cooperation to fix the problem (i.e., “who cares who made the mess, let’s figure out how to fix it”), both sides have taken a “no compromise” stand and seem to refuse to budge.  Instead of putting the needs of America ahead of their own political careers both sides seem more intent on and attitude of “how can I get out of this and keep my job (or come out on top) though in most instances a mess like this would get me fired immediately?“

None of the Freddie Mac/Fannie Mae people are worried.  Most likely none of them will go to jail.  Why? Because they are waht is called a GSE (Government Sponsered Entity) and they get millions in payoffs to leave the respective companies/GSE’s.  I think it’s called “the golden parachute.”

Contrary to liberal thought – I think the Government should do nothing and let free market forces work themselves out – then in the future not go about twisting the arms of lending agencies to give out loans to people who don’t qualify.  Contrary to popular though – there is no right to own a home – and it is not the government’s responsibility to make sure as many Americans as possible have a home either.

So, glad the bailout failed – dissappointed at the refusal of certain ones in congress to help fix the mess.

Noah’s Ark Replica?

So I guess some man in Holland attempted to produce a replica of Noah’s Ark as described in the Genesis  narrative – while supposedly built to scale it is 1/2 the length and 1/3 the width of the Genesis 6 dimensions.  I might be an ignoramus but the problem I have is that the dimensions in Genesis 6 are not that specific and the replica looks an awful lot like the typical modern day depiction of the Ark with tinted UV resistent wondows and a bow and everything!  To me it seems like it was just a big ol box with a few breathing holes in the top.  There is no way to know what the inside would have looked like – so I suppose that would be the only real area he could have some creative license.

So, anyways click the link if you want to know more.  Here is the statement at the website:

Replica of Noah’s Ark built by a Dutch contractor.  It was built approximately to scale, however is 1/2 the length and 1/3 the width of the Biblical dimensions. It was built to show the world how massive the Ark was and how so many animals could have been housed for a long time.  There have been several comments on the improbability of getting 2 of every animal on board the Ark. Take a look at this website http://www.biblestudy.org/basicart/sizeark.html . Briefly… The Ark had the same capacity as more than 500 train boxcars. Remember, not all animals needed to be full grown, not every variation of every genus. Also remember that not every variant of every genus was required onboard as their variant species would be produced over the years. Also, check out http://www.answersingenesis.org/creation/v19/i2/animals.asp . Consider all the facts, the 1.5 million cubic feet of space on the ark, 40,000 animals, and it makes a lot more sense than the little 4-animal arks you see in pictures and toys. This thing was massive and amazingly effective as a safe haven for thousands of plants and animals.  Also, for more information you can go to the ark’s official website http://www.arkvannoach.com/language/en/ .

What say you?

Quote of the Day

This is sad but probably true:

“If things are bad for Israel, business is good,” he said.  “But if there is peace in the Middle East, I’m in trouble.”

Broderick Shepherd of ArmageddonBooks dot com as quoted in Karen Zecharias’ Where’s Your Jesus Now? How Fear Erodes Our Faith (Zondervan, 2008), 32.

Dealing with sin

Get rid of it.  Do whatever it takes.  Get rid of it.

Hebrews 12:1-6

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.  Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.  In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood.  And have you completely forgotten this word of encouragement that addresses you as children?  It says, “My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he chastens everyone he accepts as his child.”

——————–

I might not be the best person to be a pastor – I tend to lack compassion and can get too frustrated with things and people.  This is an area where I need some growth.  While we do need to get rid of sin and do whatever it take to do so, there is still grace.  Maybe my understanding of what it means to be a pastor is still growing.  Its more than preaching and more than merely administering the ordinances and more than simply pointing people to God in the midst of life’s struggles.  Or is it?

I get tired of the excuses people make when they don’t or won’t do what is needed to overcome sin in their life – particularly life controlling sins such as drug abuse, alcoholism, pornography, etc.  I got tired of my own.  I understand there are actually chemical issues involved in each of these situations and so it take take a lot to break out of it.  But God’s grace is stronger.  I know it is not easy – it is very difficult to break free from a life controlling addiction but this is all the more reason why we need to be in a community of faith and that while holding the line, the community of faith needs to accept one another where people are at so the healing can begin.

I know,  I once had a internet pornography addiction (yes, I was supposedly a Christian during it all), which in turn lead to frequent bouts of black depression and deep relational brokenness and social isolation (few if any real friends).  So, I’ve been there.  Perhaps its been long enough that I am forgetting what it was like but I doubt it.

While I know dealng with a life controlling issue is more about the heart than anything else I really believe there is one main thing a person needs to do for the breaking process to begin:

Cut off the source.

If one is not willing to cut off the source one is not willing to really be free.  It was when I cut off the source and stuck with the local church that I was able to begin breaking free.  What do I mean by cutting off the source?  If one has an internet porn addiction then one needs to not simply think about not looking at porn but going the whole way and getting rid of the internet for a time.

Extreme situations call for extreme measures

I would say being addicted to porn or even alcohol are pretty extreme situations, and that extreme measures are needed to really begin breaking free.

Look, if the water main breaks in your house which of the following do you do first?

1. Grab a bucket and start bailing out.
2. Grab a mop and start mopping
3. Turn off the Main

Here is where I have had quite a few disagreements.  Seems to me that if you want to begin the process of fixing the problem you got to turn off the main first.  Some think because addictive behavior is a spiritual problem, in a case such as pornography, getting rid of the internet is out of the question (I use it for work, I can get around blockers, etc).  Well, I know there are options like accountability and such websites like Covenant Eyes, I still argue that in order to begin the healing process you have to cut off the source of the sin and brokenness – otherwise it will remain a temptation too difficult to resist, you’ll keep revisiting the sites and only purpetuate the problem.

As the Author of Hebrews says, “Let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles.” I read that to mean get rid of sin in your life and do whatever is needed to do so.  If that means cutting off the internet, or a bad/unhealthy/unsafe relationship, or taking a different way home that doesn’t pass the local bar or liquor store or porn shop, etc – then DO IT. It is not the only solution but it is one that can get you back on track and allow the healing to begin.

So again, if you are caught up in a life controlling addiction – please cut of the source.

Note on the Lord’s Prayer (Matt 6:5-15)

Matthew 6:9-15 (NLT)

9 Pray like this:

Our Father in heaven,
may your name be kept holy.
10 May your Kingdom come soon.
May your will be done on earth,
as it is in heaven.
11 Give us today the food we need,^[a]
12 and forgive us our sins,
as we have forgiven those who sin against us.
13 And don’t let us yield to temptation,^[b]
but rescue us from the evil one.^[c]

[c] Matthew 6:13 Or from evil. Some manuscripts add For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.

_____________________________

Keven Sam over at New Epistles has a blog post on the Lord’s Prayer and its being in perpetual error.  While it has been know for some time that the last line, know also as the Doxology, was most likely added for liturgical purposes – I don’t know too many who necessarily object to it’s presence.

The way I understand the Lord’s Prayer is as an index prayer.  In teaching his disciples to pray, Jesus was using the same means other Jewish teachers were using (Teacher’s of the Law?) (no Rabbi’s yet as we know them at that time).  I suppose this could be an instance of orality(?) in the Gospels and evidence of an oral culture and how teachings and prayers and things we’re passed on.  Notice how easy the Lord’s Prayer is to remember.  It’s supposed to be.

The Lord’s Prayer is not meant to be prayed by rote and Jesus prefaces his prayer with a case for what happens when we do pray by rote, nothing.  Rather, the Lord’s prayer is to be prayed line by line as a sort of topical guide on what to pray for/about.

It starts out with “Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy.”  This is the indicator to keep first things first in prayer: Worship God! The NLT does to go highlight the subjunctive here with “may.”  This is not noted in most other translations.  But the point is to keep first things first: when you begin your time in prayer spend time worshiping God.

The prayer then moves on to the next topic: intercessory prayer.  It reads, “May your Kingdom come soon. May your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.”  This is the indicator to pray for the coming of the kingdom, the in breaking of the Kingdom, if you will, into the world and into the lives of people both in your circle of influence and in general.

And so on. The next line is for supplication, which is fine and appropriate – just not as the first thing prayed about.  Finally then there is the doxology at the end – I think it is fitting as an inclusio – it reminds us to, again, keep first things first, worshiping God in prayer, because indeed – God’s is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever.  Amen!

All that to say I support praying the doxology at the end of the Lord’s (or Disciple’s) Prayer!

—————–

Edit: I just wanted to note I am not saying the Lord’s prayer should not be said all the way through – what I do is say the Lord’s prayer through once and then go back and pray it line by line.

Rob Bell on the TNIV

Let me know what you think.

HT: Rick Mansfield over at the TNIV Truth blog

Notes on Ephesians 1:3-14

The following are my notes for my sermon on Ephesians 1:3-14:

Quick note on verse 3: Blessed is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.   Blessed here communicates the idea of someone deserving appreciation, honor and praise.  When we say “blessed is God” we are not expressing a wish as in “blessed be God” but rather we are making a declaration, “Blessed is God.”  While we often bless God for who he is we most often bless him for what he has done – and in this case, we bless him because he has given us every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus.   Because of who God is and what he as done for us in Christ Jesus he is deserving of all honor and all our praises!   What has he done?  He has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus!  He has blessed us, let us bless God and give him all our praises!

Thoughts on being “In Christ”:

You know, I have to be honest, I have never been too keen on Unions – I used to work for a company once that was unionized, and I found it to be a mixed blessing – on the one hand, the job was hard work and frought with all kinds of dangers so it was good to know the Union was there to advocate for the workers on their behalf – the pay was decent, the benefits were really good, etc, they were there for us.  Yet on the other hand, it seemed to me as though the basic motto of Union life is to do the least amount of work for the most amount of money and benefits – as in, “I’ll only do this if it works out in my favor” and “I only do the work specifically listed in my contract, anything else and I need more money, else it is a contract violation.”  Even so, if one had a problem or question about something, one took it too the shop steward – if there was an issue then he or she would take the issue before management and seek to resolve the issue on the workers behalf. So, I am mixed about Unions and their function in the work force.

Well, when it comes to the Christian life, in some ways we join a Union, at least, the ultimate goal of the Christian life is not just to cash out on our fire insurance benefits but rather union with Christ – when a person becomes a Christian they become a part of Christ in that they join in on the family of God and are incorporated into the body, in Christ.  He then becomes our advocate before God the Father in heaven and we become blessed by God because of our union with Christ, because of our being in Christ.

What does it mean for us to be “in Christ”?

t means that when we be come a Christian, that is, when we come to the place where we understand that we are sinful human beings in need of a savior and we then believe and trust in God’s provision for us “in Christ” we take on a new identity and become part of Christ in that we are joined to his body in a spiritual sense and we are placed “in him.”  Where is Christ?  He at the right hand of the Father, who is in heaven.  So, really, when we become a Christian our identity is placed in heaven.

What is the reference to “in the heavenly places”?

This really just another way of saying, in God.   Just like there is a double negative there is also a double positive – here it is “in Christ…in heavenly places” or, in Christ and God! We have been given every spiritual blessing. Blessing = “eulogetos” = the act or benefit of blessing (extending of his grace (or favor)) as bestowed by God in Christ.

What are spiritual blessings? Spiritual blessings are like Spiritual Benefits (much like employee benefits, when we join a company and work for them the are benefits that come with the contract agreement).  In this particular passage, Paul list some specific aspects of our spiritual blessings:

First, we’ve been chosen (v4).

(eklegomai w/ infinitive einai = to make a choice in accordance with significant preference, select someone/something for oneself: God has chosen us for himself!  This notion of chosen also has to do with personal interest – God has personal interest in you!  He has chosen you (and us) for himself!  Imagine that!  Of all the things (or people) God could have chosen, he has chosen you!  And he did this before the world was made!  Even before all else ever existed you were on God’s mind!

To what end? To be holy and blameless – that is he has chosen us to be set apart and dedicated to his service such at we would be without fault and morally blameless (not just individually but also as a the people of God). That through a holy and blameless life, we are the praise of God’s glory (v5; 11).

Second, we’ve been predestined (v5).

The idea of predestination is to decide beforehand something will happen.  In our case, God decided before the foundation of the world that he would adopted as his children – it has always been his intention that we would be his sons and daughters.

Thirdly, we have redemption through his blood (v7) the forgiveness of sins.

Here redemption through his blood and forgiveness of sins is saying the same thing.  Redemption here is both an action and a condition (state of being) – once having been held captive to sin – through the cross of Christ we have been bought out of slavery and made free from captivity to sin by payment of a ransom – Jesus said in Mark 10:45 (also Matt 20:28) 
“For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”  Jesus came for the intent purpose of delivering us from our state of slavery, bondage to sin, and separation from God!  With this redemption comes the forgiveness of sins and full acceptance of God!

Finally, we were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit (13) who is the guarantor of our inheritance (salvation).  

sfragizw – “to mark with a seal as a means of identification” (BDAG 980) – In the days of old when a King made a decree or edict the order was written down on a scroll, rolled up and then the King’s seal was put on it indicating it belongs to him.  By receiving the Holy Spirit into our lives, we become identified as a people of God – the Holy Spirit in us serves as a seal or marker that says we are beneficiaries of the Kingdom of God – we become part of the union with Christ and this heirs of his spiritual blessings and benefits!

It is also through the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives that the spiritual blessing are appropriated! When we receive the Holy Spirit who functions as God’s physical presence in our lives, our spiritual lives are amplified and we gain access to every spiritual blessing in Christ Jesus! As I shared before, spiritual blessings are like spiritual Benefits (much like employee benefits, when we join a company and work for them the are benefits that come with the contract agreement) – Whereas in the Old Testament blessing was often material (such as Abraham and all his livestock- or even Jacob and all his children and his livestock) the many benefits believers receive today are spiritual in nature.

They represent the blessings we receive from God in relation to our spiritual lives – such as spiritual discernment or the ability to discern the things of God in relation to his word and to the Spirit realm we can know what is going on spiritually with ourselves, others, and in the world.  We become spiritually minded people.   We become people of the Spirit and desire the things of the Spirit.  We gain a spiritual maturity that is often contrasted with the ways of the world – this spiritual maturity is seen in the Fruit of the Spirit that we see in Galatians 5:22-23 – it is these things that set us apart as spiritually blessed by God in Christ Jesus.  We are also blessed with spiritual ministry abilities (or gifts) or the ability to minister within the body of Christ in ways specially empowered by the Holy Spirit, in a way that edifies and blesses our fellow Christians, such as teaching, encouragement, giving, prophetic speech, miracles, faith, etc.   It is these kinds of things God has bestowed upon us in heavenly realms in Christ Jesus.

When I say “in the heavenly realms” what does that mean?  Heaven is typically associated with God – so we have been blessed in God himself, who is in heaven!

All this is:

in accordance God’s pleasure and will (v5, 9 NIV)

in accordance with God’s purpose [plan] (v5, 9, 11)

in accordance with the riches of God’s grace (v7)

in accordance with God’s counsel (v11)

Conclusion:

Amen and Amen!  You have a new identity and condition in the Christian life!  You are now, “in Christ” and you have the blessing of God in Christ and are given every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus!

see some books

Bryan Lilly shares that he lost his desktop (it died out) monitor and has replaced it with his laptop – but he shows pics of the new set up and his books!  Go over and have a look see.

NT use of the OT test results

NT Use of the OT — Test Your View!

Fuller Meaning, Single Goal view You seem to be most closely aligned with the Fuller Meaning, Single Goal view, a view defended by Peter Enns in the book “Three Views on the New Testament Use of the Old Testament” (edited by Kenneth Berding and Jonathan Lunde, Nov. 2008). Since the NT writers held a single-minded conviction that the Scriptures point to and are fulfilled in Christ, this view suggests that the NT writers perceive this meaning in OT texts, even when their OT authors did not have that meaning in mind when they wrote. It should be noted, however, that advocates of this view are careful not to deny the importance of the grammatical-historical study of the OT text so as to understand the OT authors on their own terms. For more info, see the book, or attend a special session devoted to the topic at the ETS Annual Meeting in Providence, RI (Nov. 2008); Walter C. Kaiser Jr., Darrell L. Bock, and Peter Enns will all present their views.

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