Welcome to Our Church!

A blogger, who identifies himself only as Fanged Teddybear, has spoken of  “ … the strange who feel they cannot go to church for the fear of being judged by the members of that church.”  How painful it is to hear that phrase.

Jesus, who was not a “respecter of persons,” (Acts 10:34) died for every person in the world.  The fat, the thin, the black, the white, the yellow, the red, the rich, the poor, the powerful, the helpless, the Maori, the Slav, the Peruvian, the girl, the boy, the educated, the ignorant, the atheist, the pious, the saint, the drude, the refined, the murderer, the pedophile, the clothes horse, the person with absolutely no fashion sense, the beautiful, the ugly, the deformed, the mutilated, the studious, the airhead.  You get the idea.  

The church must always be open and welcoming to everyone who will listen, even the strange, even those who make us feel uncomfortable.  What we must not ever do is present anything other than the full gospel message.  There must be no dilution of the truth.

Moving to Weekly Posts

Due to circumstances beyond my control, I will have to cut back to posting on this blog to a minimum frequency of about once per week.  I may often post more frequently.

Mainstream vs Traditional

Recently, I have spoken several times about Christians who hold to the traditional faith being thought of as outside the “mainstream.”  We are often portrayed as “odd,” “eccentric,” “wrong-headed,” “extreme,” “bigoted,” or “fringe.”  Most often the insults are subtly delivered.

Religious denominations are spoken of by the “mainstream media” as “mainstream” (meaning progressive or liberal) or “outside the mainstream.”  This places those who are “outside the mainstream” into the same general category as the numerous obscure or strange sects and cults. It is an insult and I believe that it is a form of persecution which seeks to force us to “evolve.”  This is another insult which assumes that we are “cavemen” or “neanderthals.”

Persecution is not always of the “throw them to the lions” sort.  It also exists in the sideways snicker, in the assumption that traditional Christians are “simple” or intellectually inferior, or that we are socially backward, or that we are totally outdated dinosaurs not relevant to the modern world.

AND SADLY … this patronizing and insulting (I say heretical) thought often comes from the “mainstream’ churches and from movements such as the Emerging Church.  Listen to what the Bible clearly says.

“Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.” Jude 1:3.  Jude was Jesus’s brother.

“Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.”  Romans 12:2

“But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.”  Galatians 1:8.  The word which the translators have rendered as “accursed” is, in the Greek, ἀνάθεμα (anathema), from ἀνά (ana), meaning "on", and τίθημι (tithēmi), meaning "I put."  Originally this referred to a gift to God or to the pagan gods.  Echoes of the  Hebrew word "herem" (חרם) referred to something forbidden or off-limits, because it was dedicated for religious use and not useable in the common world. (Numbers 18:14; Leviticus 27:28-29); and hence the idea of “exterminating” or “dead” was connected with the word.  Various translations of the words anathema and herem have included "cursed," "disliked," "loathed," "banned," "excommunicated," "excluded," "denounced," "vehemently rejected," "off limits," and "devoted to evil."

Deuteronomy 7:26 calls a pagan idol a herem. Here it is: “Neither shalt thou bring an abomination into thine house, lest thou be a cursed thing like it: but thou shalt utterly detest it, and thou shalt utterly abhor it; for it is a cursed thing.”

Boy Scouts to Allow Homosexual Members

The Boy Scouts of America on 23 May 2013 voted (by a 60% to 40% margin) to change the organization’s regulations to allow homosexual boys to participate and be full members. Homosexual adult leaders will still be banned.  Since the Boy Scouts are a private organization they were not required to make this change but they have been under increasingly intense public pressure for years to take this step.  A problem is that many of the sponsors of scout groups are churches.  Not all of them are delighted with this development.  The only official church responses so far are from the Mormons, who say the change will not affect their involvement, and the Catholics, who say that they need time to consider their response.

My thinking on the issue: the Boy Scouts are a private group and can do as they wish.  Individual parents and individual denominations, congregations, synagogues, and mosques should decide for themselves if they wish to continue their involvement.  Hopefully, the Boy Scouts will allow individual local groups to decide whether or not they will implement the new policy.  That would spare them the decision of whether or not now to withdraw from the Scouts altogether.  

The pressure on the Scouts and on religious groups has been subtle and not so subtle.  An example can be found in this article from the USA Today newspaper for Friday 24 May 2013 on page 12A (the editorial page).  The editorial calls the prior Boy Scout stance a “wrong-headed ban on gays,” Two paragraphs later, it says this:

“Much of the angst that has riven the Scouts for the past year can be attributed to Scouting's close affiliation with churches, some with strong tenets against homosexuality. Fully 70% of troops are religiously sponsored.”

The logical implication is that the newspaper’s editorial staff is insulting the churches by calling them “wrong-headed.”

Stirring Up a Hornet’s Nest

Read about the Ariel Castro kidnapping case in these links.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/08/ariel-castro-had-ropes-an_n_3237412.html

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/05/07/castro-berry-cleveland/2140619/

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-201_162-57583428/ariel-castro-cleveland-kidnapping-suspect-helped-look-for-missing-girl/

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2320564/Ariel-Castro-pictured-Suspect-Amanda-Berry-Gina-DeJesus-Michelle-Knight-kidnap-arrested--BROTHERS.html

http://www.cleveland.com/metro/index.ssf/2013/05/tv_station_reports_berry_dejes.html

http://www.lifenews.com/2013/05/16/letter-asks-prosecutor-to-charge-ariel-castro-over-five-forced-abortions/

http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/story/2013/05/10/ariel-castro-cleveland-kidnapping-rape-charges.html

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-201_162-57583620/michelle-knight-told-cops-ariel-castro-threatened-to-kill-her-if-amanda-berrys-baby-died/
http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Justice/2013/0510/Could-Ariel-Castro-be-tried-for-murder-Case-would-be-unprecedented

The prosecutor in this horrible case is about to stir up a hornet’s nest.  Ariel Castro stands accused of kidnapping three women and holding them against their wills for ten years.  He repeatedly raped and sexually abused all three, impregnating two of them.  One of the women was impregnated five times.  Castro ended each of the five pregnancies by starving and beating the woman.  One child, now six years old, was born to another of the hostages.

Abortion and the question of when a fetus officially becomes human are sharply divisive issues in the United States at this time.  There are already arguments beginning over whether Castro’s termination of the pregnancies constituted feticide or homicide.  If the killings are declared to have been homicides, then Castro is eligible for the death penalty.  But, if the killings are declared to have been homicides, then the fetuses will have been declared to have been human.  Obviously, for supporters of abortion rights, this just will not be acceptable.

This places the abortion supporters into a tight spot.  Virtually everyone is agreed that Castro’s crimes against the three women (they were still legally children when he abducted them) are heinous and evil.  Abortion supporters may be forced into a corner where they have to downplay the seriousness of some of Castro’s crimes.  It is a corner of their own making.

This is, of course, a religious issue, but I believe that an atheist could come to the same conclusion that I have: the killings of the fetuses were murders.

Who are you?

You are what you repeatedly do.  You are what you value.  Who are you?

"For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also."  Matthew 6:21

Definition: Casuistry.

Yesterday, I spoke about casuistry in relation to Mark 7:10-13. The word, casuistry, is derived from the Latin word casus, which means “event” or “case.”  The benign definition of casuistry is that it is a discipline within ethics which deals with ambiguous issues of right and wrong.  The most common use of the word today is more sinister: it is described as sophistical reasoning used in matters of ethics.

Sophism (from the Greek word Σοφία = “wisdom”) comes from the ancient Greek Sophists who developed elaborate philosophical and rhetorical arguments to teach excellence and virtue to young men.  The catch was that they charged for their teachings.

Socrates refused to take any money for teaching and considered the practice by the Sophists to be deceptive and specious.  From this developed the modern English use of the word: a specious argument used to deceive and to obscure one’s true intent.  There are many modern examples of this practice.

Korban

“For Moses said, Honour thy father and thy mother; and, Whoso curseth father or mother, let him die the death:  But ye say, If a man shall say to his father or mother, It is Corban, that is to say, a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; he shall be free. And ye suffer him no more to do ought for his father or his mother; thus invalidating the word of God by your tradition which you have handed down; and you do many things such as that."” Mark 7:10-13

The Hebrew noun korban (קרבן) is derived from the root word KAREV which  means “to approach,” “to come near,” “to get into a close relationship with somebody.”  From this, applied to God, the word came to mean “sacrifice,” “gift,” or “offering.”  A man who declared his worldly possessions korban was thus dedicating them to God so that they could not be used for any other purposes.  The property would become God’s (belong to the priests) upon the man’s death.

Some men declared their possessions to be korban so that they could not be required to use their funds to support their elderly parents.  The man was not required to give his money to the temple as long as he was alive.  This was casuistic hypocrisy, which Jesus exposed in Mark 7:10-13.

The effect of the tradition was to nullify the intent of the practice by insisting on a literal, and sometimes cynical, strict implementation.

More on casuistry tomorrow.

Use Any Combination of Coins

On a newspaper vending machine I saw this printed instruction: “Use any combination of coins.  Do not use pennies.”

What?  Although it is obvious that the writer meant “use nay combination of coins, except pennies,” that is not what was said.  What was said was a logical inconsistency, an impossibility.

We must make sense in what we say and do.  This applies to Christians especially because “they” ARE watching us and listening to us.  We will be most effective when we are clearly understood, even though that will sometimes bring hostility to us.

When speaking to unbelievers we must talk to them in ways which they will understand.  To begin immediately quoting scripture to them will usually leave them absolutely cold because they do not recognize the authority of scripture.

The first step is to logically and coherently convince the unbeliever that there is a real “problem” in the world.  Many will not readily admit this.  Before we can present the solution which we know to be true, we must convince the unbeliever that everything is not OK as it is.  There can be no real listening without that recognition. We must also convince unbelievers that the solution to what is wrong does not lie with things which are, of themselves,  positive: education, social justice,  benevolent government, the elimination of poverty and hunger, science, the eradication of racism, better hygiene, environmentalism, the curing of diseases, respect for animals, etc.  Luckily for us, we are merely the instruments.  The Holy Spirit does the real work within the unbeliever.

Remember that we must be wise warriors.  Although, our ultimate adversary is, of course, Satan the Accuser, the prince of this world, the individual battles are not with enemies but with potential brothers and sisters. 

They Know What You Are Saying!

I was walking my dog when a neighbor came by with her two young boys on a walk.  The two year old was driving his tricycle.  The other boy has just turned one year old.  The mother was pushing him in a little car.  The youngest boy waved at me and then turned to his mother and bumped his hands together. He was telling his mother that he wanted "more," presumably more of his "car ride."  The sign can be seen in the fourth link listed below.

The mother told me that the youngest boy knew several signs for simple things like "more," "finished," "hungry," "sleepy," "love," and "play." I had heard of this before and told her what that meant. The child, in correctly using the sign language, was demonstrating that he understood.  This also meant that he understood what his parents were saying and that he was listening.  I told her what she already knew; that children understand and are able to communicate long before they are able to speak.

Many people talk, and even argue, in front of "the baby," never realizing that the baby is listening.  How wonderful it is if what the baby hears is talk of Jesus and what the baby sees is two righteous and loving parents.

The baby sign language is inspired by the American Sign Language for the Deaf.
Links about infant sign language:

http://www.babysignlanguage.com/

http://www.babysignlanguage.com/dictionary/first-signs/

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/baby-sign-language/AN02127

http://www.parenting.com/gallery/baby-sign-language-words-to-know

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baby_sign_language

http://www.parents.com/baby/development/sign-language/

http://lifeprint.com/asl101/pages-signs/b/baby.htm
http://www.signbabies.com/
http://www.google.com/search?q=infant+sign+language&hl=en&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=vZ2KUaeNMIOm8QSrxYGgBw&sqi=2&ved=0CD0QsAQ&biw=1202&bih=812

Modern Names of Biblical Places: Susa

Susa, mentioned in Nehemiah 1:1, Esther 1:2, Ezra 4:9, and Daniel 8:2,16 survives as the modern city of Shush, Iran which had a population of 53,897 in 2006.  Ancient Susa (aka: Shushan, Susan, and Susun) was occupied as early as 4395 BC/BCE and was a city of the Elamite, Persian, and Parthian Empires.  The palace of King Xerxes and Queen Esther was excavated late in the nineteenth century.

Female Images of God in the Bible: A Mother Hen

Jesus compared himself to a mother hen. "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, which killest the prophets, and stonest them that are sent unto thee; how often would I have gathered thy children together, as a hen doth gather her brood under her wings, and ye would not!" Luke 13:34

Christians

At some time during their lives, the following people have publicly identified themselves as Christian.   Inclusion in this list does not indicate approval or disapproval of the person, of their orthodoxy or lack of it, or of their actions.  Some of those listed may surprise you.  Readers are encouraged to suggest persons who should be included on this list.  This is a recurring segment in this blog.

David L. Ramsay III: (b. 1960, USA) Personal money management expert, motivational speaker, author.  Ramsay encourages people to live debt-free.

Bruce Manning Metzger: (b. 1914, Pennsylvania, USA – d. 2007) Biblical translator and textual critic, university professor.  Specialist in Greek, New Testament, and New Testament textual studies.

Karl Ludwig Harding: (b. 1765, Germany – d. 1834) Astronomer.  In 1804, Harding discovered three comets and an asteroid, 3 Juno.

Mark Tronson: (b. 1951, Australia)  Tronson is pionerrin sports ministry in Australia.  He retire in 2001 after seventeen years as the chaplain of the Australian cricket team.  Baptist.

Andrew Wingfield-Digby: (b. 1950, England) Cricketer, pastor.  Founder of the organization, UK Christians in Sport.  Anglican.

A Christian Internet Filter

CleanInternet.com (www.cleaninter.net/) is a Christian internet filter which can be installed on IBM and PC-based computers.  It is compatible with Windows 8, 7, Vista, and XP.  The filter blocks numerous categories of websites which might be offensive or unsuitable for children.

The categories blocked are: drugs and drug use, alcohol and alcohol use, tobacco and tobacco use, sites which offer free web pages, gambling sites, sites which advocate illegal activities, graphic violence, murder, suicide,  sites about bodily functions and vulgar humor,  profanity, pornographic and “adults only” sites, chat rooms, personal advertisements.

The filter does not work on Mac computers.  Clean Internet recommends http://www.MacWebFilter.com/

If I Could, Updated

Recently, I posted a statement about a phrase someone wrote on our message board in our laboratory rest room.  They wrote, "If I could."  I wrote, "I would."  Today, someone has added, "Be rich."

I'm sure most of us would not reject an opportunity to be wealthy.  The problem is that many people think that being rich, or being a celebrity, would solve all their problems.  Their eyes are on material things rather than the unlimited value of the Blood.

“Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” Matthew 6:19-21

You Will Laugh

You will laugh.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WxUulGkLu4I

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zZH0sNsaAz4&feature=fvwp&NR=1

http://www.neatorama.com/2010/02/15/laughing-quads-turn-ten-tomorrow/

http://www.mathiasquads.org/

“A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones.”  Proverbs 17:22

Unforgiveness is Toxic

"We don't know what could be holding us down, but if someone needs to be forgiven that would be a start."  What an insight!  Forgiveness can have just as much an effect on the forgiver as on the forgiven.  Carrying hatred, or even just an attitude of unforgiveness, is toxic.

This is one of the points of October Baby, a film I recently reviewed.

Flattop Jones

Flattop Jones Sr. is a fictional character created by cartoonist Chester Gould for his Dick Tracy  detective newspaper comic strip.  Jones was a vicious contract killer loosely based on the American bank robber Charles Arthur “Pretty Boy” Floyd (1904-1934).  Flattop was drawn with a deformed skull which was completely flat on top.   Obviously, Jones was an exaggerated caricature of evil;  he just looks evil and he would kill you without a thought if someone paid him to do so.

http://dicktracy.wikia.com/wiki/Flattop_Jones_Sr.

http://disney.wikia.com/wiki/Flattop_Jones

http://www.comicvine.com/flat-top/4005-9900/

One problem with evil is that often it does not look “evil.” Many times it is attractive, seductive, pleasant,  lucrative, even … beautiful.  2 Corinthians 11:14 says that Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. A “light angel” ἄγγελον φωτός.

At the Time When David Became King of israel

At the time when David became king of his unified Kingdom of Israel (ca 1000 BC/BCE), this is what was happening in other regions of the world.

The Chavin Culture established a trade network in Peru.

Japan was inhabited by a hunter-gatherer culture.

Agricultural farming began in Kenya.

The Phoenicians invented their alphabet.

Latins began to arrive in Italy.

The Hittite city of Troy (Troy Layer VII at Hisarlik, Turkey) was destroyed.

The Tamil language appeared in India.

China prospered under King Kang (ruled 1020-999BC/BCE) of the Zhou Dynasty.

If I Could

On the dry erase message board in the laboratory where I work someone wrote “If I could.”  The phrase was obviously calling for responses, so I wrote, “I would.”

“If I could” assumes that I can’t.  It assumes a lack of ability.

Christians are indwelled by the Holy Spirit.  When God assigns us tasks, He never asks if we are able to perform them.  He assumes that we are able.  We are able to perform our assigned tasks because of the empowerment we receive from the Holy Spirit.  God has ownership of the unlimited resources of the universe.  If we are performing a task assigned by God, we absolutely have whatever is necessary to complete the task.

“For the LORD of hosts hath purposed, and who shall disannul it? and his hand is stretched out, and who shall turn it back?” Isaiah 14:27