"There's no such thing as a stupid question."
"What did you say?"
"I said, 'There's no such thing as a stupid question.'"
"What did you say?"
"There's no such thing as a stupid question!"
"What did you say?"
******************************************************
"God answers every prayer."
"... the LORD will not hear you in that day." -- I Samuel 8:18
"Surely God will not hear vanity, neither will the Almighty regard it." -- Job 35:13
"If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me." -- Psalm 66:18
"And when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you: yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear: ...." -- Isaiah 1:15
"Therefore pray not thou for this people, neither lift up cry nor prayer for them, neither make intercession to me: for I will not hear thee." -- Jeremiah 7:16
See also Isaiah 59:2; Jeremiah 11:14, 14:12; Amos 5:23; Micah 3:4; & Proverbs 1:28.
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Friday, December 29, 2006
Wednesday, December 20, 2006
Christian Maturity
Reading the history of God’s people throughout the Scriptures should naturally tend toward a question something like the following, “Why in the world is it so seemingly common that men like David, Solomon, and Hezekiah, who have exercised wisdom and great faith and who have received wonderful blessings, later make such foolish decisions?” How did they misplace their wisdom? Is this what Christians must anticipate as they grow older in Christ? I should hope not. Thank the LORD for other examples like Joseph, Daniel, Paul, and, of course, Christ Himself.
But what of Paul? What was it that he said? “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith.” (2 Timothy 4:7) While much could likely be said about what it means to “keep the faith,” I desire to mention what is likely one of the simplest definitions.
One dark, wet night some years back, my family and I were traveling an unfamiliar route several hours from home. We damaged the front of our car by hitting a large animal in the middle of the road, and consequently, found ourselves continuing our journey on unfamiliar, wet, unlit, country roads with only one bright headlight. We soon rediscovered the value of reflectors spaced at close regular intervals down the middle of the road, by which safer navigation is made less stressful. The absence of those reflectors made us more grateful for their occasional reappearance.
Psalm 119:105 states that “[God’s] Word … a Light to [our] path.” God’s Word is our metaphorical reflectors. Christian maturity is not becoming so confident in our own driving skills that we assume we can safely navigate any typical route with only an occasional glance at the road, as much as it is developing the consistency of humbly gauging and correcting our position relative to the Reflectors in all matters of life, truth, and holiness.
Always, always, always check the Scriptures. “Keep sound wisdom and discretion: … Then shalt thou walk in thy way safely, and thy foot shall not stumble.” (Proverbs 3:21b,23)
But what of Paul? What was it that he said? “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith.” (2 Timothy 4:7) While much could likely be said about what it means to “keep the faith,” I desire to mention what is likely one of the simplest definitions.
One dark, wet night some years back, my family and I were traveling an unfamiliar route several hours from home. We damaged the front of our car by hitting a large animal in the middle of the road, and consequently, found ourselves continuing our journey on unfamiliar, wet, unlit, country roads with only one bright headlight. We soon rediscovered the value of reflectors spaced at close regular intervals down the middle of the road, by which safer navigation is made less stressful. The absence of those reflectors made us more grateful for their occasional reappearance.
Psalm 119:105 states that “[God’s] Word … a Light to [our] path.” God’s Word is our metaphorical reflectors. Christian maturity is not becoming so confident in our own driving skills that we assume we can safely navigate any typical route with only an occasional glance at the road, as much as it is developing the consistency of humbly gauging and correcting our position relative to the Reflectors in all matters of life, truth, and holiness.
Always, always, always check the Scriptures. “Keep sound wisdom and discretion: … Then shalt thou walk in thy way safely, and thy foot shall not stumble.” (Proverbs 3:21b,23)
Monday, December 11, 2006
So you think you know the Bible, do ya?
A country preacher went looking for a job. The interviewing committee finally interviewed him. They asked him, “Do you know much about the Bible?”
The preacher said, “Oh, yeah. I know the Bible through and through.”
“What’s your favorite book?” they asked.
“My favorite book is Mark.”
“What’s your favorite part?”
“My favorite part is the parables.”
“Oh, yeah. What’s your favorite parable?”
“My favorite parable is the one about ‘The Good Samaritan.’”
“Can you tell it to the committee?”
The preacher replied, “Yep. It goes this way:
“Once there was this man traveling from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among the thorns; and the thorns sprung up and choked him. And as he went on, he didn’t have any money, and he met the Queen of Sheba. She gave him a thousand talents of gold and thousand changes of raiment, and he got into a chariot and drove furiously.
“He was driving so furiously, he drove under a Juniper Tree, and his hair got caught on the limb of the tree. He hung there for many days, and the ravens brought him food to eat and water to drink. And he ate 5,000 loaves of bread and 2 fishes.
“Then one night, while he was hanging there asleep, his wife Delilah came along and cut off his hair, and he dropped and fell on stony ground. But he got up and went on, as it began to rain. It rained for 40 days and 40 nights; so he hid himself in a cave, and he ate locusts and wild honey.
“Then he went on until he met a servant who said, ‘Come; let’s have supper together.’ But he made an excuse and said, ‘No, I won’t. I married a wife and cannot go.’ So the servant went out to the highways and the hedges and compelled him to come in.
“After supper, he went on and came down to Jericho. When he got there, he looked up and saw that old Queen Jezebel, sitting high up on the window; and she laughed at him. So he said, ‘Throw her down, out there!’ And they threw her down. Then he said, ‘Throw her down again!’ And they threw her down 70 times 7. And of the fragments that remained, they picked up 12 baskets full …, besides women and children. – They say, ‘Blessed are the PIECE-makers.’
“Now, whose wife do you think she will be on the Judgment Day?”
The original source is unknown, but we copied this from listening to a sermon delivered by Ravi Zacharias of Ravi Zacharias International Ministries (http://www.rzim.org).
The preacher said, “Oh, yeah. I know the Bible through and through.”
“What’s your favorite book?” they asked.
“My favorite book is Mark.”
“What’s your favorite part?”
“My favorite part is the parables.”
“Oh, yeah. What’s your favorite parable?”
“My favorite parable is the one about ‘The Good Samaritan.’”
“Can you tell it to the committee?”
The preacher replied, “Yep. It goes this way:
“Once there was this man traveling from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among the thorns; and the thorns sprung up and choked him. And as he went on, he didn’t have any money, and he met the Queen of Sheba. She gave him a thousand talents of gold and thousand changes of raiment, and he got into a chariot and drove furiously.
“He was driving so furiously, he drove under a Juniper Tree, and his hair got caught on the limb of the tree. He hung there for many days, and the ravens brought him food to eat and water to drink. And he ate 5,000 loaves of bread and 2 fishes.
“Then one night, while he was hanging there asleep, his wife Delilah came along and cut off his hair, and he dropped and fell on stony ground. But he got up and went on, as it began to rain. It rained for 40 days and 40 nights; so he hid himself in a cave, and he ate locusts and wild honey.
“Then he went on until he met a servant who said, ‘Come; let’s have supper together.’ But he made an excuse and said, ‘No, I won’t. I married a wife and cannot go.’ So the servant went out to the highways and the hedges and compelled him to come in.
“After supper, he went on and came down to Jericho. When he got there, he looked up and saw that old Queen Jezebel, sitting high up on the window; and she laughed at him. So he said, ‘Throw her down, out there!’ And they threw her down. Then he said, ‘Throw her down again!’ And they threw her down 70 times 7. And of the fragments that remained, they picked up 12 baskets full …, besides women and children. – They say, ‘Blessed are the PIECE-makers.’
“Now, whose wife do you think she will be on the Judgment Day?”
The original source is unknown, but we copied this from listening to a sermon delivered by Ravi Zacharias of Ravi Zacharias International Ministries (http://www.rzim.org).
Saturday, December 02, 2006
Bringing Back Backsliders
The New International Version of the Holy Bible records Christ’s words in Matthew 28:18-20 as follows: “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
Recently, I have wondered why my children, who are foremost the children of God, are able to sin and yet not confess that sin without some prompting from us, their parents. If they are truly Christians, young enough for their consciences to not have yet been totally seered and hardened against sensing the Holy Spirit’s grief, then shouldn’t they come running, crying, and confessing their sin? Is not the Holy Spirit powerful enough to convince and convict them of their sin and make them penitent? But then, why not leave Him with the entire task of also chastising and correcting our children? With the great responsibility of rearing children, why should it be left to those us who are yet imperfect and whose entire sanctification has not yet been realized?
For that matter, why not leave it to Christ to appear in the flesh and personally evangelize every individual sinner in the world? Is not the Holy Spirit capable of showing truth to our hearts and minds without us needing to look at His Scriptures? And why should we listen to a human preacher on Sunday morning? Besides, the Holy Spirit could likely present us a powerful sermon in a lot less time, and we wouldn’t have to miss so much of our Sunday afternoon TV shows. Yeah, that’s a great idea!
Yet is this not what many pastors preach and practice? “I just scatter the Seed and leave the rest to the Holy Spirit.” Okay, so maybe we cannot make it rain, nor can we reach into the acorn and pull out the tree. But we can work the ground, plant the seed, and even water it to some extent; we can fertilize the ground, pull weeds, and even remove dead leaves. In other words, after Christ stated that all authority had been given to Him, He then gave His Bride responsibilities.
When Nikki comes into the worship service and sits down with her live-in boyfriend, when Mom and children show up without Dad because that second job requires him to work weekends, when Martha is going through her third divorce, when James cuts out of the service early because he wants to catch the last part of his son’s little league game, it is not enough to preach the principles and leave the application to God and conscience. When Christ left the surface of the earth, He did not leave us comfortless (John 14:18); nor did He leave us without authority to remit or retain sins (John 20:23). He did not leave us without a structure for confronting and disciplining backsliders; nor did He leave us without support. It’s not all up to Him, nor is it all up to us; because after declaring His authority, then delegating authority, He promised to be “with [us] always, to the very end of the age.”
“These also are sayings of the wise: To show partiality in judging is not good: Whoever says to the guilty, “You are innocent” – peoples will curse him and nations denounce him. But it will go well with those who convict the guilty, and rich blessing will come upon them.
“An honest answer is like a kiss on the lips.” (Proverbs 24:23-26)
Recently, I have wondered why my children, who are foremost the children of God, are able to sin and yet not confess that sin without some prompting from us, their parents. If they are truly Christians, young enough for their consciences to not have yet been totally seered and hardened against sensing the Holy Spirit’s grief, then shouldn’t they come running, crying, and confessing their sin? Is not the Holy Spirit powerful enough to convince and convict them of their sin and make them penitent? But then, why not leave Him with the entire task of also chastising and correcting our children? With the great responsibility of rearing children, why should it be left to those us who are yet imperfect and whose entire sanctification has not yet been realized?
For that matter, why not leave it to Christ to appear in the flesh and personally evangelize every individual sinner in the world? Is not the Holy Spirit capable of showing truth to our hearts and minds without us needing to look at His Scriptures? And why should we listen to a human preacher on Sunday morning? Besides, the Holy Spirit could likely present us a powerful sermon in a lot less time, and we wouldn’t have to miss so much of our Sunday afternoon TV shows. Yeah, that’s a great idea!
Yet is this not what many pastors preach and practice? “I just scatter the Seed and leave the rest to the Holy Spirit.” Okay, so maybe we cannot make it rain, nor can we reach into the acorn and pull out the tree. But we can work the ground, plant the seed, and even water it to some extent; we can fertilize the ground, pull weeds, and even remove dead leaves. In other words, after Christ stated that all authority had been given to Him, He then gave His Bride responsibilities.
When Nikki comes into the worship service and sits down with her live-in boyfriend, when Mom and children show up without Dad because that second job requires him to work weekends, when Martha is going through her third divorce, when James cuts out of the service early because he wants to catch the last part of his son’s little league game, it is not enough to preach the principles and leave the application to God and conscience. When Christ left the surface of the earth, He did not leave us comfortless (John 14:18); nor did He leave us without authority to remit or retain sins (John 20:23). He did not leave us without a structure for confronting and disciplining backsliders; nor did He leave us without support. It’s not all up to Him, nor is it all up to us; because after declaring His authority, then delegating authority, He promised to be “with [us] always, to the very end of the age.”
“These also are sayings of the wise: To show partiality in judging is not good: Whoever says to the guilty, “You are innocent” – peoples will curse him and nations denounce him. But it will go well with those who convict the guilty, and rich blessing will come upon them.
“An honest answer is like a kiss on the lips.” (Proverbs 24:23-26)
Food & Wine for Thought
“Did Jesus turn the water into alcoholic wine?” One of the arguments, which I’ve heard throughout my life, against the drinking of wine and other alcoholic beverages is that the word which we read in our Bibles translated into English as “wine” can actually mean grape juice. I.e., “wine” does not necessarily refer to something fermented, but it can also refer to the juice which has just been created. While I have yet to study the claim of this argument or to study this word in the original language (“oίνoς”, pronounced oy’-nos, as the Greek would have it), I still have some fundamental questions even about this argument.
First of all, I assume that it can be safely said that the translators of the Holy Scriptures generally fell into one of the four following categories:
...Christian, Wine-Drinker...........Non-Christian, Wine-Drinker
...Christian, Non-Wine-Drinker.....Non-Christian, Non-Wine-Drinker
If they fell into either of the two categories on the right-side of the above array, that is, if the translators of our English Bible were not Christians, then does this not raise some very serious issues concerning our convictions about the infallibility and authority of the Scriptures? So let’s assume for now, for the sake of argument (without yet researching the translation parameters), that they were Christian.
They then were either drinkers of alcoholic wine or abstainers from such. If they were abstainers from wine, and if they were thus because of religious conviction, and if the word in the original language could have been translated as something other than wine (this is a big “if,” since it would also be helpful in this argument to know if it was common in the language and era of the translators to refer to “grape juice” as “wine”), then why did they still translate it as wine? I.e., if the context of the Scriptural passage was likely referring to non-fermented grape juice, then why didn’t the translators clarify that (unless the King James language was not referring to any fruit beverage as anything other than wine), especially if they themselves were convinced of the inappropriateness of drinking wine?
Otherwise, if they were Christians who enjoyed their liberties in Christ including the enjoyment of their wine, then it is understandable why they had no problem translating the many references to wine as they did.
* * * * * *
– Why do the Scriptures appear to be speaking of wine?
– Why was Christ accused of being a “winebibber” (Matthew 11:19, Luke 7:34)? Did the “men of [Christ’s] generation” really have a problem with His drinking grape juice?
– Why have Christians in the past drunk wine, why do Christians today enjoy wine without becoming controlled by it, … especially if it is easily or feasibly arguable that Scripture should likely be referring to grape juice?
What has changed throughout church history? and why? How have these changes come about? Are they justified? – We need to know the Scriptures, and we need to know our history.
First of all, I assume that it can be safely said that the translators of the Holy Scriptures generally fell into one of the four following categories:
...Christian, Wine-Drinker...........Non-Christian, Wine-Drinker
...Christian, Non-Wine-Drinker.....Non-Christian, Non-Wine-Drinker
If they fell into either of the two categories on the right-side of the above array, that is, if the translators of our English Bible were not Christians, then does this not raise some very serious issues concerning our convictions about the infallibility and authority of the Scriptures? So let’s assume for now, for the sake of argument (without yet researching the translation parameters), that they were Christian.
They then were either drinkers of alcoholic wine or abstainers from such. If they were abstainers from wine, and if they were thus because of religious conviction, and if the word in the original language could have been translated as something other than wine (this is a big “if,” since it would also be helpful in this argument to know if it was common in the language and era of the translators to refer to “grape juice” as “wine”), then why did they still translate it as wine? I.e., if the context of the Scriptural passage was likely referring to non-fermented grape juice, then why didn’t the translators clarify that (unless the King James language was not referring to any fruit beverage as anything other than wine), especially if they themselves were convinced of the inappropriateness of drinking wine?
Otherwise, if they were Christians who enjoyed their liberties in Christ including the enjoyment of their wine, then it is understandable why they had no problem translating the many references to wine as they did.
* * * * * *
– Why do the Scriptures appear to be speaking of wine?
– Why was Christ accused of being a “winebibber” (Matthew 11:19, Luke 7:34)? Did the “men of [Christ’s] generation” really have a problem with His drinking grape juice?
– Why have Christians in the past drunk wine, why do Christians today enjoy wine without becoming controlled by it, … especially if it is easily or feasibly arguable that Scripture should likely be referring to grape juice?
What has changed throughout church history? and why? How have these changes come about? Are they justified? – We need to know the Scriptures, and we need to know our history.
More Thoughts on Wine
Obviously, not all of the Scriptures’ uses of the word wine are necessarily in reference to grape juice. One must look at the context. Even then, it becomes difficult, if not impossible, to prove that the Scriptures prohibit the use of alcoholic wine. Consider the following:
Ephesians 5:18 states, “Be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess.” Does this mean, “Be not drunk with” grape juice?
How were the Israelites to preserve the grape juice from fermentation?
Deuteronomy 14:25-26 is very interesting, where is commanded, “Then shalt thou … go unto the place which the LORD thy God shall choose: 26And thou shalt bestow that money for whatsoever thy soul lusteth after, for oxen, or for sheep, or for wine, or for strong drink, or for whatsoever thy soul desireth: and thou shalt eat there before the LORD thy God, and thou shalt rejoice, thou, and thine household.”
John 2:9-10 relates, “When the ruler of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and knew not whence it was: (but the servants which drew the water knew;) the governor of the feast called the bridegroom, and saith unto him, ‘Every man at the beginning doth set forth good wine; and when men have well drunk, then that which is worse: but thou hast kept the good wine until now.’” Was he speaking of the various grades of grape juice that were customarily served at wedding feasts?
In Matthew 11 and Luke 7, Christ says that John the Baptist “came neither eating nor drinking,” but then He “the Son of man came eating and drinking” (Matthew 11:18-19). Christ’s statement is likely in reference to John’s obedience to the angel’s command spoken to John’s father Zacharias in Luke 1:15, “For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother’s womb.” What was John prohibited from drinking? Wine and strong drink. So when Christ says that “John came neither eating nor drinking” but that He “the Son of man came eating and drinking,” what was he then drinking?
Why did Peter, at Pentecost, not rather declare, “These are not drunken, as ye suppose, seeing it is not the custom of the Jews to drink alcoholic wine”? (Acts 2:15)
When various warnings are given throughout the Scriptures from the Holy Spirit against the drunkenness and the abuse of strong drink, is it because He saw that the Israelites might easily become addicted to grape juice?
Ephesians 5:18 states, “Be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess.” Does this mean, “Be not drunk with” grape juice?
How were the Israelites to preserve the grape juice from fermentation?
Deuteronomy 14:25-26 is very interesting, where is commanded, “Then shalt thou … go unto the place which the LORD thy God shall choose: 26And thou shalt bestow that money for whatsoever thy soul lusteth after, for oxen, or for sheep, or for wine, or for strong drink, or for whatsoever thy soul desireth: and thou shalt eat there before the LORD thy God, and thou shalt rejoice, thou, and thine household.”
John 2:9-10 relates, “When the ruler of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and knew not whence it was: (but the servants which drew the water knew;) the governor of the feast called the bridegroom, and saith unto him, ‘Every man at the beginning doth set forth good wine; and when men have well drunk, then that which is worse: but thou hast kept the good wine until now.’” Was he speaking of the various grades of grape juice that were customarily served at wedding feasts?
In Matthew 11 and Luke 7, Christ says that John the Baptist “came neither eating nor drinking,” but then He “the Son of man came eating and drinking” (Matthew 11:18-19). Christ’s statement is likely in reference to John’s obedience to the angel’s command spoken to John’s father Zacharias in Luke 1:15, “For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother’s womb.” What was John prohibited from drinking? Wine and strong drink. So when Christ says that “John came neither eating nor drinking” but that He “the Son of man came eating and drinking,” what was he then drinking?
Why did Peter, at Pentecost, not rather declare, “These are not drunken, as ye suppose, seeing it is not the custom of the Jews to drink alcoholic wine”? (Acts 2:15)
When various warnings are given throughout the Scriptures from the Holy Spirit against the drunkenness and the abuse of strong drink, is it because He saw that the Israelites might easily become addicted to grape juice?
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