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Theology of Christmas Gifts Part 2

noreply@blogger.com (Jordan) — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 03:30:00 +0000

Last time we began venturing to establish a theology around celebrating Christmas. But all we really established is that giving is good. Before continuing to frame out how traditions and celebrations can glorify God, I'll describe a practical result of our giving theology.

This Christmas, my family did not to make wish lists. Through all that talk about how giving is good, we did not talk much about the receiving end. We know it is better to give than to receive (Acts 20:35). But Christmas seems to cause our hearts to become selfish and focus on what we want, to the neglect of focusing on what others may need or be blessed by. So we resolved to pursue Christmas as giving, not getting. Therefore we avoided wish lists. But without wish lists, how can we know what to get each other? we wondered. We said that God gives compassionately, and part of that description is that He knows us so well that He gives the perfect gift. So instead of being told what to give each other, we tried to simply know each other. I should know my wife and children well enough that I don't need to ask what to give them. Sure, this makes shopping a little more difficult, but it helps focus our hearts on the task and joy of giving, not receiving. This had mixed results, but we'll try it again next year. I think it may help foster selflessness if the whole year long we were considering what gift would bless those around us, looking for clues, as though we were studying each other, instead of always thinking of what I want.

But even if giving is good and glorifies God, why celebrate Christmas?

God has performed miraculous works in history. The greatest of these is Christ's work on the cross, where God's seemingly contradicting attributes of mercy and justice are both, at the very same time, fully on display. God displays His glory in this. And He is glorified in us when people know and perceive and savor His great mercy and His great justice and how He can be both perfect love and perfect justice all at once. He is glorified when we remember His great works, because His works display His greatness.

Traditions serve our cause of glorifying and enjoying God when we realize one thing about ourselves: we are forgetful. We must remember what God has done. If we forget, we lose sight of His greatness and He is no longer glorified. God knew we are forgetful, as we see in Scripture that He instituted festivals for the people of Israel for the sake of remembering His works, such as the passover (Ex. 12:25-27, Deut. 16). The festivals were grace from God to help us forgetful people remember the source of our deepest joy. So when traditions help us remember God's greatness, they are good.

Those Christians who reject Christmas usually arrive there because they hold to the regulative principle. The regulative principle would teach that since God did not establish Christmas in Scripture, or any such festival celebrating Christ's arrival, we should not celebrate it. I will not address that here but only say that I do not hold to the regulative principle. (John Piper's Gravity and Gladness seminar is very helpful in addressing what worship means as new covenant believers; scroll down to the John Calvin quote). Though I agree that Christmas began in paganism and, as Spurgeon said, "the observance of it is purely of Popish origin," I do not believe its origins are the biggest factor to consider.

If Christmas were not celebrated in our culture I probably would not either. I would rather seek to foster a family culture of giving because God is a giver. But since Christmas is celebrated here, and that is not against the law of Christ, we can follow Paul's example and celebrate with the culture in order that we might save some (1 Cor. 9:21). The reason we need to celebrate in order to save some is that to not celebrate is offensive; it makes us a "Scrooge." The only offense we should present is the cross. To offend people for any other reason detracts from our message of the cross (Gal. 5:11; 1 Cor. 1:23, 10:32-33). Granted, there is no denying that God's people are peculiar and set apart, but let's not be weird for the wrong reasons; let's be weird for how lovingly, generously, compassionately and lavishly we give. Let's be weird for our extraordinary love (Jn. 13:35), which is nothing more than a picture of our extraordinary God. And to picture Him well as we love well glorifies Him and brings us joy.

Therefore I believe that our attitude towards Christmas should be informed by the connotations it has in the minds of the people we rub shoulders with, as opposed to how it may have originated. As R.C. Sproul pointed out, "Who associates Christmas today with Mithras? No one calls it 'Mithrasmas.'" We are called to proclaim the message of Christ to our contemporaries, those we work with and walk by in the grocery store. What do they think of Christmas? What can our attitude towards Christmas tell them about the greatness of our God? Instead of seeing our culture's Christmas as a problem we can see it as a great opportunity to glorify God. It is an opportunity to speak openly about Jesus and display God's giving character. It is only natural, if we are a giving people, to be giving at Christmas.

Another aspect of Christmas that protesting Christians have criticized is that of rest. By "rest" I mean spending your time in play or relaxation, as opposed to productive work. For example:

It is our duty to attend faithfully and industriously to that secular business which is incumbent on us, during the six last days of the week, and not to institute or observe sabbaths of human invention; that we may be prepared for the sanctification of the Lord's sabbath. --Ezra Stiles Ely (pastor, Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A.), A Synopsis of Didactic Theology (1822).

On the day called Christmas Day, the Governor called them out to work as was used. But the most of this new company excused themselves and said it went against their consciences to work on that day. So the Governor told them that if they made it a matter of conscience, he would spare them till they were better informed; so he led away the rest and left them. But when they came home at noon from their work, he found them in the street at play, openly; some pitching the bar, and some at stool-ball and such like sports. So he went to them and took away their implements and told them that was against his conscience, that they should play and others work. --William Bradford (governor, Plymouth colony), Of Plymouth Plantation (1621).

Contrary to this type of thinking, when God instituted a festival for the purpose of remembering His works, He called for special Sabbaths (in addition to the weekly one) for rest, play, and feasting. The purpose of this was to celebrate and thank God for His blessings upon their work.

Deuteronomy 16:12-15 You shall remember that you were a slave in Egypt; and you shall be careful to observe these statutes. (13) "You shall keep the Feast of Booths seven days, when you have gathered in the produce from your threshing floor and your winepress. (14) You shall rejoice in your feast, you and your son and your daughter, your male servant and your female servant, the Levite, the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow who are within your towns. (15) For seven days you shall keep the feast to the LORD your God at the place that the LORD will choose, because the LORD your God will bless you in all your produce and in all the work of your hands, so that you will be altogether joyful. (Emphasis added.)

This was a celebration seven days long, with a command to be joyful because of God's provision through human labor. Note that it is celebrated after gathering from the threshing floor and winepress, implying the use of the food and wine in the celebration. And it's a celebration that includes everyone. Resting, playing, and eating are good things when done in the proper spirit. For us now, my secular job gives time off at Christmas. So I can use this time as an opportunity to rest from work and thank God for His gracious provision. We can use His blessings from the past year of labor to celebrate and give to others. Rest is good, and it glorifies God when done in a spirit of thankfulness.

And so, our Christmas was marked with plenty of food, plenty of rest, and plenty of people. We kept away from wish lists. We shopped for each other under a budget. We played games. We enjoyed each other. And glorified God in the process.

We don't think the specific day is all that important. Because of timing with extended family on Christmas Eve, we had our gift opening on a completely different day. People are more important than the day. We gave each other pajamas the night before, and opened the rest of the gifts in the morning. And what about Santa? Our position is basically the same as described here.

Has this helped you think more about if and how you celebrate? I'd be glad to hear from you.

Theology of Christmas Gifts

noreply@blogger.com (Jordan) — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 03:39:00 +0000

Our goal: To glorify God and enjoy Him forever.

Problem: Christmas gifts.

As my wife and I experienced our first Christmas as a family, we realized the traditions that each of us was accustomed to weren't the same. By necessity then, we thought about what Christmas will mean for us. What traditions will we establish, if any? We will give each other presents? Should we encourage our children to create wish lists? Will we open presents the night of Christmas Eve or Christmas morning? What about Santa?

Coming from the perspective that "all theology is practical and all practice is theological," we weren't about to just do whatever pleased us most. In everything, we have a great opportunity and privilege: to glorify God and enjoy Him forever. There is much at stake here. So what do we do with our culture's Christmas?

Let's start with our goal, to glorify God and enjoy Him forever, and see if we can derive anything about Christmas gifts.

We have a saying in our home that God is glorified "when people know how great He is" (it has nice meter). And that goes without saying that when people know His greatness we will find Him to be supremely valuable and our source of deepest pleasure. So to seek to glorify God is to seek to know Him ourselves and make Him known to others. One thing we know about God and want to make known to others is that He is a giver: He gave Jesus to us, His "only begotten." That tells us His gift was extremely valuable, yet He gave anyway because of His great love (Jn. 3:16). And not only did He give lovingly and generously, He gave directly to our root need. He knows us so well that He knew exactly what we needed. I'll call this aspect of His giving character "compassionately."

We glorify God when we act like He does. So we should parallel His giving character. The direct parallel of how God gives to how we should give is not that we should give some wrapped, bow-topped box of earthly treasure. It is certainly not that. The direct parallel to God giving people Jesus is us giving people Jesus. That is primary. If we are to truly give lovingly, generously, and compassionately, we will tell people about God's holiness, their sin, and Jesus' cross. That is how we are to glorify God in making His character known to others.

But God gives more than Jesus. While it is true in one sense that Jesus is everything, and the gift we are to forever enjoy is God Himself, there are in this life lesser gifts that I believe God wants us to enjoy. God gave me a wife. She is a gift. Yet God created marriage (and sex) as a good thing, knowing full well that our selfish depraved hearts would make an idol out of it. Even after the fall, He gave me a wife knowing full well that I could make an idol of her, that she could take over the supreme place in my desires where He alone should be. A reason why he yet gives the gift in sight of this danger I will save for another day. For our purpose here, we can say that he not only gives to our root need, but he also gives to our "wants." And the danger involved is OK. The giver does no wrong, and the gift is not bad. Giving a gift to someone's lesser wants, in sight of the danger of idolatry, I will call giving "lavishly."

If we are to glorify God by making His character known to others, we can do this by giving people lesser gifts: wrapped, bow-topped boxes of earthly treasure. We should do it lovingly, generously, compassionately, and lavishly. But giving lavishly must be tempered for a couple reasons: God gives out of His unlimited resources, while we can give out of only limited resources; and, if something becomes an idol to His children God will discipline us until He regains supremacy in our hearts, and so as we give to others we must be watchful of idolatry.

God's resources are unlimited. He "lavishes" grace upon us, because He has so much of it (Eph. 1:7-8). We seek to emulate that characteristic of God in our giving. But my bank account is finite. My hours-per-day isn't getting any bigger. So my resources are limited. This shakes down into meaning I need to budget what I spend on gifts, both my time and money. There are always a hundred things vying for my attention, and it may be that some other activity to put my time and money towards brings greater glory to God. That must all be weighed in a budget, and we can't go into that now. Suffice it to say here, it is required of us to seek to glorify God optimally with our resources, and only some can go towards giving gifts.

The second reason to temper our giving lavishly is that although God gives us gifts that are less than Himself, such as a spouse or children or apple pie, despite His knowing we will make an idol of the gift, He doesn't let the idolatry go on. He protects us as a good Father. He knows we are straying into lesser joys. He loves us so much that He insists we have the most pleasure possible, and that is only found when He is our deepest desire (Heb. 12:5-11). So when we prop up a gift as an idol He will discipline us. So in my fatherhood I can glorify God when I emulate His Fatherhood in protecting my children from idolatry. When I give a child a gift of earthly treasure I must be watchful of selfishness and possessiveness in his heart towards that thing. (It may be better to make this analysis prior to giving the gift.) Is the child willing to share it with others? Is the child thankful for other blessings like family or food, especially in the thing's absence? Or has it possessed the child? If so, I must consider how to wean the child of the idol. All this opens another big can of worms that I can't go into now, the issue of Christian parenting. In summary, when we give to our children we must be watchful and prayerful for their hearts. (We should be praying for them continually anyway.) But ultimately I do think giving lavishly to children is OK because we entrust their hearts to God. No matter how good of a father I could be, I cannot save anyone. And should my children be saved, God will deal decisively with their idols.

So if all this is true, we conclude that it serves our goal of glorifying God if we give gifts, and if we do it lovingly, generously, compassionately and lavishly. And, of course, we know that "God loves a cheerful giver," (2 Cor. 9:7) so we should add to the list giving "cheerfully."

But what does all this have to do with Christmas? I'll start there next time.

His Trials

noreply@blogger.com (Jordan) — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 04:10:00 +0000

You are those who have stayed with me in my trials.

Luke 22:28

Jesus endured trials while on earth. And he continues to endure them now.

Whenever his people sin.

Whenever there is false teaching.

Whenever wives are mistreated.

Whenever husbands are disrespected.

Whenever children are neglected.

Whenever widows are forgotten.

Whenever his people are persecuted.

Whenever a church is a mess.

These are his trials. And we get to receive the grace of experiencing them with him.

Will you stay with him?

Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever receives the one I send receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me.

John 13:20

Christ's followers endure hardships. If we suffer for doing good, if we suffer for simply seeking to do his will and not our own, then it is in a sense his suffering, his trial. When the world rejects us on account of him, they are rejecting him. We are just along for the ride. For those who stay with him through these trials he grants a reward: to rule with him.

You are those who have stayed with me in my trials, and I assign to you, as my Father assigned to me, a kingdom, that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

Luke 22:28-30

But before we rule, it is fitting that we should first suffer. This is the way of Christ, and so it will be our way. And when he returns to consummate his rule, all will have been necessary to complete his work in us so that we are fit to rule. All will have been worth it.

Take heart, Christian. Stay with him.

Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the LORD delivers him out of them all.
Psalm 34:19

Cause of Death: Football

noreply@blogger.com (Jordan) — Fri, 10 Dec 2010 05:02:00 +0000

Those of you interested in the violence/football discussion may want to read this article. The author points out the alarming number of football players dying because of brain injuries, like this:

Cases like that of Nathan Stiles (reported by ESPN’s Outside the Lines series) drive such discussion. An A student, beloved by his church congregation, Nathan eluded tacklers like an avatar in a video game. In his final football game in September 2010, he covered the last thirty yards alone, leaving his would-be tacklers behind, a hero to his team and Kansas town. That night, he lay in a hospital bed, lost to the world. By the next morning, he had passed away, the homecoming king dead from a bleeding brain.

Do the risks outweigh the rewards of playing this game? Has something changed in this sport from 20 years ago?

Violence and Football

noreply@blogger.com (Jordan) — Sat, 27 Nov 2010 06:49:00 +0000

In response to the recent post on violence, the question was raised: If violence and being entertained by violence is wrong, then what about football?

I need to be careful with my bias here because I like football. I will offer my thoughts with an effort to be balanced but I hope if nothing else to stir us on to be more discerning with everything we watch, read, and do.

When a player doesn't get up after a play in football, people don't cheer. We don't want players getting hurt. When the same thing happens in boxing or mixed martial arts, people cheer. The very goal of such sports is the destruction of your opponent's body. This is where violence against another human is fundamentally wrong. God, being the Creator, is owner of all things and all people (Ps. 24:1, Exo. 19:5, Job 41:11, etc.). What's worse is that as humans we bear the image of God. That body belongs to God and we offend Him when we mess with His stuff.

Since the goal in football is to put the ball in the endzone and not to destroy players' bodies, I think football is different. To the contrary, I believe God is glorified in fine-tuned bodies and cooperating teammates that can place a pass in the perfect spot at the perfect time. That's what I'm entertained by, and I think it is good.

I realize this gets real sticky when we start thinking about the likelihood of players getting hurt in football. If all this is true, can a player in good conscience take the field and play aggressively knowing that he might accidentally injure someone? I think there is something to be said for the consent each player gives when taking the field. Each player goes in knowing he might get hurt. Still I don't know how to work this out exactly. Maybe Reggie White did.

The Grace To Evangelize

noreply@blogger.com (Jordan) — Fri, 26 Nov 2010 08:19:00 +0000

It has been suggested that one verse which exhorts us Christians to evangelize is 2 Timothy 4:5, "As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry."

In the previous post, I contended that most passages used to emphasize personal evangelism are misinterpreted or stretched at best and gave one example from Philemon. I believe this passage from 2 Timothy is also stretched at best. Here's why.

We just need a little context. The verse begins, "As for you." Who is Paul speaking to? Me? You? The verse ends, "fulfill your ministry." My ministry? What's that?

Paul is speaking to Timothy. He is telling Timothy to do the work of an evangelist, to fulfill his ministry. It would benefit us to study what this actually meant in the life of Timothy instead of jumping directly to applying it to ourselves as though Paul is speaking to us.

Let's look around 1 and 2 Timothy looking for clues as to what exactly Timothy's ministry is. I find:

1Ti 1:18 This charge I entrust to you, Timothy, my child, in accordance with the prophecies previously made about you, that by them you may wage the good warfare.

There are specific words and phrases to key in on here. "Charge" and "entrust" are pretty important words you'll find throughout 1 and 2 Timothy. Paul speaks of himself being entrusted with "the gospel of the glory of the blessed God," 1 Tim 1:11. So Paul is "charging" Timothy to stay true to the gospel as it was "entrusted" to him. The "charge" comes to a climax in the final chapter, 2 Tim 4, where he invokes God Himself in the charge:

I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching.

Just verses later this charge continues with, "Do the work of an evangelist."

What about the prophecy mentioned in 1Ti 1:18? We'll find in addition:

1Ti 4:14 Do not neglect the gift you have, which was given you by prophecy when the council of elders laid their hands on you.
2Ti 1:6 For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands,

The reference to prophecy and laying on of hands is likely similar to what we would call ordination. To get to the point already, Timothy was specifically called and gifted by God to be a minister of the gospel. He was ordained to be a pastor. Therefore I believe the charge to do the work of an evangelist applies today to pastors. And obviously, not every Christian today is a pastor. Therefore this call to evangelism does not apply to common Christians. It does not apply to me. If there's anywhere it could possibly extend to me, it's here:

2 Tim 2:1-2 You then [Timothy], my child, be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus, and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.

Through this passage we can understand the charge to extend to others, to "faithful men." It could be that this is simply referring to more pastors, that Timothy also needs to pass the baton just as Paul is now doing. Whatever the case, it is not just "everyone" but qualified as those who are "faithful" and "able to teach." Related to this we find, "Do not be hasty in the laying on of hands," 1 Tim 5:22a. Maybe we should consider how well we steward the gospel of the glory of the blessed God. It isn't to be entrusted to just anyone.

Note also that this ministry entrusted to Timothy and pastors is a gift. The Greek for gift is charisma. The Greek for grace is charis. It is important to realize that whenever we speak or read of spiritual gifts that they are simply things of grace. Each Christian receives grace to use for building up the Church. We don't all do the same thing. We each receive a different measure of grace:

Eph 4:7 But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ's gift.

To some is given that measure of grace to evangelize. It is different for everyone. Some are "fellow workers" like Philemon, while others are "fellow soldiers" like Archippus (Phm 1:1-2, Col 4:17). I feel as though we've made evangelism into the over-arching gift that everyone ought to exercise, whether it is their gift or not, and only after that do we each have differing gifts that we must also exercise. I am concerned for so many Christians who carry a burden of guilt because they don't evangelize as they are told they should, when in reality it just isn't in their measure of grace and isn't their fault. This is one reason why we need to focus on sanctification, so that each person's measure of grace can grow.

Any other verse?

Sanctification. Evangelism, Not So Much

noreply@blogger.com (Jordan) — Wed, 24 Nov 2010 06:14:00 +0000

I started to write what's below and then stopped at a point because I was not sure if I was saying something false, or at least something too controversial. Then Kevin DeYoung wrote this:

The fact of the matter is if you read through the New Testament epistles you will find very few explicit commands that tell us to evangelize and very few explicit commands that tell us to take care of the poor in our communities, but there are dozens and dozens of verses in the New Testament that enjoin us, in one way or another, to be holy as God is holy (e.g., 1 Peter 1:13-16).

So I'm going ahead with it...

I recently read a story of how excited a young man was when he first discovered J.I. Packer's Knowing God. The rich truth that "the basic fact of my life was living to know my creator" was something he never learned in church. Upon telling his youth pastor this, he was rebuked, "Your purpose isn't to know God. Your purpose is to win souls. That's what you are here on earth to do- be a witness and win others to Christ."

Sadly, I can identify with that attitude and I'm guessing you can too. Here's an idea: Our primary focus in the Christian life should be sanctification, not evangelism.

Maybe you don't see those two things as opposed to each other. They should both happen, right? Yes, they should both happen. But I am just trying to take my cues from scripture, and I find in every New Testament epistle the directions given to common Christians is focused on sanctification, on growing in holiness. It's all over the place. Where do we find focus on personal evangelism? To be honest, I don't find much.

Please keep in mind as you react to this that, because of The Great Commission, I believe evangelism is an important part of the Church's mission. But beyond that, I contend (shockingly I'm sure) that most passages used to emphasize personal evangelism are misinterpreted or stretched at best. It just isn't there.

Example: Philemon 1:6, "...and I pray that the sharing of your faith may become effective for the full knowledge of every good thing that is in us for the sake of Christ." I've heard Thabiti Anyabwile, a man with whom I am together for the gospel, use this verse to demonstrate how evangelism can cause one to grow deeper in knowledge of the gospel. By telling people about Jesus, they will probably have questions that you don't have an answer for, so you go looking for answers. This in turn better prepares you for the next evangelism opportunity. That is all true, but I don't believe that is what this verse is saying. I'd be pretty disappointed if that's all it meant.

The word for "sharing" in this verse could mean "communication" or it could just as well mean "fellowship." In the context of Philemon, we understand that Paul is writing to Philemon to urge him to lovingly receive Onesimus. Onesimus was a slave of Philemon's who ran away. Philemon had a right to punish him if he ever returned. But Paul's whole purpose in this letter is to inform Philemon that Onesimus is now a fellow believer in Christ and so he should receive Onesimus into his fellowship and forgive him.

In light of the context, I believe the phrase about "sharing your faith" refers to Philemon's fellowship with believers, not communication with nonbelievers. The greater context of verses 4-7 refers to Philemon's love and faith for Jesus and "for all the saints," and Paul says "the hearts of the saints have been refreshed" through Philemon. In verse 22, Paul asks Philemon to prepare a guest room for him, hoping to soon visit him. Notice in verse 2 the reference to "the church in your house," which indicates Philemon opened his home as a meeting place for Christians. All this suggests that Philemon was wealthy and probably provided for the needs of poorer believers in his community.

Paul's reference to "every good thing" is meant to contrast worldly wealth with spiritual wealth. His prayer is that through Philemon's sharing of his home and material "good things" that Philemon would realize the true blessings of good things he has in Christ which become apparent through the fellowship of faith. "The sharing of your faith" is exercising your gift of grace and participating in all those things a church should do: bear each other's burdens, encourage one another, rejoice together, serve one another, teach one another, worship Jesus together, and so on.

And we could say the purpose of all that was Philemon's sanctification.

I could go on but I will pause for objections. Can you find me a passage which exhorts me to evangelize?

Violence Only For Justice

noreply@blogger.com (Jordan) — Thu, 18 Nov 2010 05:59:00 +0000

I blogged several months ago saying of the topic that I would "expand a bit more soon." Now, when God starts a thing He is faithful to complete it. I am recognizing that I fail to glorify God when I start a thing and do not follow through with it. So I here am.

But before resuming that topic, here's something I want to tell you: Violence is only acceptable when it is coupled with justice.

There is a certain Christian subculture today that seeks to be manly by watching mixed martial arts fights such as UFC. I recently came across Mark Driscoll say the following in the sermon "The Weaker Christian":

If you’re a person who has no problem with violence, and last night you watched Matt Hughes beat Royce Gracie in the Ultimate Fight – thank you, Jesus. We all knew it was gonna happen. You don’t have a problem with violence – because you’ve read the Old Testament and you know it’s Biblical – you don’t have a problem with violence, then you can watch Ultimate Fighting. If you marry someone, though, like I did, and she says, “I don’t like violence,” then I watch it with my boys, not with my wife. My wife’s not into Ultimate Fighting. My boys? Totally into Ultimate Fighting. They take their shirts off and watch Ultimate Fighting with their dad – that’s what we do.

Though I have myself in one instance gathered with some guys to watch a fight, there is something unsettling about all this. I have two objections: violence itself is not Biblical and it is not manly.

Violence is in the Old Testament, yes, but it is not recreational. Violence per se is never condoned, let alone being entertained by and deriving pleasure from it. It is always the story of God executing justice using His people as agents to deliver His wrath on those well deserving for their sin. It is the same story in the New Testament and in our present age: Jesus Christ is the true Ultimate Fighter, the conqueror of sin and death.

If you want to be a man, take off your shirt with your Dad and get violent fighting your sin. Fight for justice in the world as agents of Christ's redemption and victory to the captive and oppressed. This is the ultimate fight.

Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world. - James 1:27

Resolved, to endeavor to obtain for myself as much happiness, in the other world, as I possibly can, with all the power; might, vigor, and vehemence, yea violence, I am capable of, or can bring myself to exert, in any way that can be thought of. - Jonathan Edwards, Resolution #22

Things We Ought to Know #6: Facebook Replying

noreply@blogger.com (Jordan) — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 20:53:00 +0000

If you use Facebook, you ought to know how to reply to a message sent to multiple people. When you type a response, the button clearly says "Reply All." This means your reply will go to every single person the original message went to. You don't want to do this. You may think everyone wants your address so we can all send our wedding invitations to you, but you would be wrong. You may think everyone wants to know about the intimate details of your life that are only relevant to the original sender and really ought to be kept private, but again you'd be wrong.

To reply to just the original sender, there is a little link that says "Reply" next to the original sender's name and the date of the message. This is what you want to use.

I know Facebook changes things a lot and will probably change this someday. But we can figure it out. It isn't that hard. Seriously, it's 2010.

Joseph's Great Commission

noreply@blogger.com (Jordan) — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 01:31:00 +0000

I have been leading a Sunday School Bible study on the life of Joseph. Since the "story" (I prefer "historical account") of Joseph may be too familiar, coat of many colors and all, I have found it much more rewarding to study this by seeking to find gospel parallels.

I'm finding it to be very true that God wrote a story and He tells it over and over again, because it is the best story there is. The relevance of that fact to your life and my life is that God retells the same story in our lives. Paul Miller writes in A Praying Life, "The Father wants to draw us into the story of his Son. He doesn't have a better story to tell, so he keeps retelling it in our lives."

Anyway, while there are many details in the account of Joseph that seem to hint of Christ, one that I found especially interesting is what looks like the Great Commission. After Joseph's relationship with his brothers is restored, he tells them to move to Egypt to be near to him and to enjoy the wealth of the land. He basically tells them that he's got a home for them, that they should go get some more people and bring them there, and he'd provide everything they need for the journey. That sure sounds like Christ's great commission to me. Think Egypt = heaven. Pharaoh = God the Father. Joseph = Jesus. Joseph's brothers = You and I, Christ's brothers (Rom. 8:29). Journey to Egypt = our present lives. Read Genesis 45:16-24 to see what I mean (included below).

I find three significant points:

(1) Abandon your earthly goods for the journey to heaven. Verse 20: "Have no concern for your goods, for the best of all the land of Egypt is yours." Joseph tells his family to move to Egypt, where there's everything they could possibly need. So they don't need to carry all their stuff from home. Abandon it! That says to us: Have no concern for your stuff on earth, for the best of heaven is yours. (How does this relate to my last post? Hmmm...)

(2) God will provide all we need in this life to survive the journey to reach heaven. Verse 21, "...gave them provisions for the journey." If you ever played Oregon Trail, you'll have some appreciation for the difficulty of their travels. It's no walk in the park. Then again, neither are our lives. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? Nope. God provides all we need.

(3) Love one another on the journey. Verse 24, "Then he sent his brothers away, and as they departed, he said to them, 'Do not quarrel on the way.'" The sons of Jacob were notorious for quarreling. They sold Joseph as a slave for goodness' sake. Then again, we are notorious for quarreling too. Our sin put Christ on the cross, for goodness' sake. Joseph's statement parallels what Jesus said to his disciples in John 15:12, "This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you." In reading the quarreling of Joseph's brothers, it seems very petty and immature. That's how we ought to look at our own quarrels. Instead we should seek to love.

The account of Joseph is about redemption. It's got Gospel written all over it.
______________________
Genesis 45:
¹⁶When the report was heard in Pharaoh’s house, "Joseph’s brothers have come," it pleased Pharaoh and his servants. ¹⁷And Pharaoh said to Joseph, "Say to your brothers, 'Do this: load your beasts and go back to the land of Canaan, ¹⁸and take your father and your households, and come to me, and I will give you the best of the land of Egypt, and you shall eat the fat of the land.' ¹⁹And you, Joseph, are commanded to say, 'Do this: take wagons from the land of Egypt for your little ones and for your wives, and bring your father, and come. ²⁰Have no concern for your goods, for the best of all the land of Egypt is yours.'"
²¹The sons of Israel did so: and Joseph gave them wagons, according to the command of Pharaoh, and gave them provisions for the journey. ²²To each and all of them he gave a change of clothes, but to Benjamin he gave three hundred shekels of silver and five changes of clothes. ²³To his father he sent as follows: ten donkeys loaded with the good things of Egypt, and ten female donkeys loaded with grain, bread, and provision for his father on the journey. ²⁴Then he sent his brothers away, and as they departed, he said to them, "Do not quarrel on the way."

God's Good Gifts

noreply@blogger.com (Jordan) — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 00:26:00 +0000

On an episode of House, Dr. House is questioned about his beliefs on the afterlife. He responds by saying that he refuses to believe that this life is nothing more than a test.

I've had some trouble countering that attitude. To be honest, I've felt that way for much of my life. Just trying to do all the right things in this life, always looking forward to heaven when I can finally relax. Is this life nothing more than a testing ground to see if I deserve heaven?

As I have posed questions to you on this blog on the seeming urgency conveyed in the New Testament and my emphasis on simple living, in the back of my mind is always this issue. How am I to understand my life right now versus my life to come in heaven? Should I live with utter abandon of this world for the sake of the gospel? How can I deny my desire for happiness right now? Should I suppress those desires until heaven? Are simple pleasures wrong?

I know that some would say that to seek happiness in anything other than God is wrong and will only bring disappointment. While that is mostly true, I think it's a little too simple. I can prove this to you easily. Think of your favorite food. The first thing that comes to my mind is watermelon, strawberries and grapes. Will you honestly say that delicious taste doesn't bring the slightest pleasure to you? Of course it does. But do you then feel all guilty because you found pleasure in something other than God? I'm guessing you don't.

I'm saying that God gives gifts. We are meant to enjoy them. Right here and now. If we ignore them or avoid them, we are in effect throwing them back in God's face. The gifts are always meant to bring us to thankfulness and worship of God, but the gifts themselves are not God.

So while I believe God's greatest gift is Himself, that is not His only gift to us.

I'll expand a bit more soon, attempting to back it up with Bible.

It's About People

noreply@blogger.com (Jordan) — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 04:28:00 +0000

Under former president Joe Chapman, a primary theme that formed a basis for NDSU operations was "It's About People."

It's About People

North Dakota State University exists as a human endeavor; a means to accomplish a greater good. It's About People, acknowledges the service we do for our fellow citizens, but also emphasizes the institutional commitment to the people of North Dakota State University and our desire to reward those whose efforts are serving the public's interests.

Aside from what that means for a secular institution, from a Christian worldview this phrase and attitude is something I'm learning to embrace. There was a time when I would have probably criticized this, instead arguing "It's About Christ" is best. Of course that is true, that the driving purpose for everything we do is to, for, and through Christ. But sooner or later that theology compels us to do something. Then what?

It's about people.

I don't say it's about people as opposed to being about Christ. I mean it's about people as opposed to being about stuff. Stuff like work, money, accomplishment and... stuff. Granted all those things tend for the "greater good" of people, but in the end it's just stuff. Stuff's purpose is to support people, not the other way around.

God made people. Sure, He made everything else. But He made Adam in His image, and the purpose of that is to be in relationship with Him. The sun, stars, and cucumbers sing His praises, but not like people do. He told Adam and Eve to fill the earth with people. It's not good to be alone. It's good to be with people. The Church is people. Christ came to interact with and die for people. It's about people!

I encourage you to focus on people. Encourage one another. Bear each other's burdens. Mourn together and laugh together. Live for Christ by serving people. And if there are no "each other"s in your life, something is wrong. Listen to me people, this is what life is about. People.

Century 1 Suffering vs. Century 21 Prosperity

noreply@blogger.com (Jordan) — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 06:31:00 +0000

I'm gonna make a quiet return to blogging. To test the waters of my readership, I'd like some help from you, dear reader. Can you do me a hermeneutical favor, and suggest the implications of the New Testament being written mainly to believers suffering persecution, being literally murdered for the sake of Christ, versus how we read it today and attempt to apply it to our lives as we live in America with the comforts of the top 5% of wealth in the world?

I don't have an answer so I need your help here.

Spurgeon: Am I Elect?

noreply@blogger.com (Jordan) — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 04:42:00 +0000

Charles Spurgeon, from the sermon The Death of Christ:

I pause once more; for I hear some timid soul say—"But, sir, I am afraid I am not elect, and if so, Christ did not die for me." Stop sir! Are you a sinner? Do you feel it? Has God, the Holy Spirit, made you feel that you are a lost sinner? Do you want salvation? If you do not want it it is no hardship that it is not provided for you; but if you really feel that you want it, you are God's elect. If you have a desire to be saved, a desire given you by the Holy Spirit, that desire is a token for good. If you have begun believingly to pray for salvation, you have therein a sure evidence that you are saved. Christ was punished for you. And if now you can say,

"Nothing in my hands I bring,
Simply to the cross I cling."
you may be as sure you are God's elect as you are sure of your own existence; for this is the infallible proof of election—a sense of need and a thirst after Christ.

Eternity in Ecclesiastes?

noreply@blogger.com (Jordan) — Sun, 16 Aug 2009 17:11:00 +0000

I've been wanting to blog about Ecclesiastes 3:11 and why the usual interpretation of "eternity in the hearts of men" just doesn't fit with the rest of the book. Fortunately, someone else has thought through it and came to a conclusion that I'm in favor of.

Eccl. 3:11 (NIV)

He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end.

The paraphrase of how it could be translated:

God has made everything appropriate in its time. He has placed darkness in the human heart so that people cannot discover all God has done.

I encourage you to read the article, because this isn't just about a word translation. It speaks to our desire for an explanation for evil. Why do bad things happen? Why must there be a time to be born and a time to die? A time to weep and a time to laugh? A time for war and a time for peace?

The response is that this is simply what God has chosen to do and it isn't for us to question Him. Just trust God.

When the Perfect Comes

noreply@blogger.com (Jordan) — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 04:10:00 +0000

Not long ago I asked the question: Was Paul wrong? I proposed that Paul was mistaken in assuming that Christ's return would be without-a-doubt in his own lifetime. After reading a debate on continuation versus cessation of supernatural gifts, I've thought of another implication of Paul's mistaken assumption.

This debate always centers around 1 Cor. 12-14. In my estimation, we can really boil the whole thing down to our interpretation of 1 Cor. 13:10a: "But when the perfect comes..."

For a little more context,

1Co 13:8 Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away.
1Co 13:9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part,
1Co 13:10 but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away.
1Co 13:11 When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways.
1Co 13:12 For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.
1Co 13:13 So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

The cessationist argument is that "the perfect" means the completed Scriptures. Once God revealed to us everything he desired to through inspired written words, we would then no longer need supernatural prophecies, tongues, or knowledge. Everything we need is written down. If we follow this through the rest of the passage, it means the "now" referred to in vs. 12 and 13 is the time before finished Scripture, the time of Paul's writing. Once John finished writing the Revelation of Jesus Christ (the completion of God's written word), that must be when men became able to see "face to face." Follow me?

I've never been able to swallow that explanation. It's just way too manufactured. Isn't it obvious that seeing "face to face" means heaven? Why would "the perfect" mean the completion of Scripture, and not instead our state of eternal perfection after this life?

To back me up on this, I did some recruiting (by reading commentaries). Matthew Henry says "the perfect" means heaven. Charles Spurgeon says the same. John Calvin says the same. I figure that's enough.

What does this have to do with our proposed false assumption by Paul? Well, it's pretty simple. If Paul figured Christ's return would be any-day-now, why would he tell the Corinthians that a complete Bible is coming? What does that matter? Doesn't it make a whole lot more sense that "the perfect" means Christ's return? There's just no need for a complete written Word if the appointed time had grown so very short.

With this perspective instead, let's look back at the passage. "Now" of vs. 12 and 13 means this very present moment, since I am not yet glorified in heaven. Some will argue that in heaven there is no need for faith or hope. This is true. They then say that the abiding of faith, hope, and love can't possibly mean "the perfect" is in heaven. But remember, "now" means this very present moment. It's not that hard:

Now	Heaven
know and prophesy in part	partial passes away, know fully
as a childish understanding	as a mature understanding
see in a mirror dimly	see face to face
faith, hope, and love abide	love never ends

Pretty interesting how Paul's assumption plays in to all this, huh?

Simple Living According To Alcorn

noreply@blogger.com (Jordan) — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 23:00:00 +0000

After some of the things we've discussed here, both of you have probably thought I went off the deep end with the simple living stuff. Well, having just read chapter 16 of Randy Alcorn's Money Possessions and Eternity, I know I am not alone. He said exactly what I've been trying to say. He shows from scripture that the reason God grants us more resources than we need is so we can be generous with it, not so we can improve our own standard of living. At the same time he strikes the right balance by arguing that within a wartime lifestyle "there's nothing wrong with spending money for modest pleasures that renew and revive us, especially considering that our battle will last a lifetime."

I am tempted to quote the entire chapter. I will have to settle for less:

We might also call it a "strategic" lifestyle... If I'm devoted to "simple living," I might reject a computer because it's modern and nonessential. But if I live a wartime or strategic lifestyle, the computer may serve as a tool for kingdom purposes... Strategic living is kingdom centered.

We say, "There's nothing wrong with wanting to be rich." God says, "People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction" (1 Timothy 6:9). We say, "There's nothing wrong with being eager to get rich." God says, "One eager to get rich will not go unpunished" (Proverbs 28:20). We say, "The rich have made it." Jesus says, "It is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 19:23).

Referring to 1 Timothy 6:17-19,

Who are these "rich," and how rich are they? Nearly everyone reading this book is rich, both by first-century standards and by global standards today... If you made only $1,500 last year, that's more than 80 percent of the people on earth."

[John Wesley] had just finished buying some pictures for his room when one of the chambermaids came to his door. It was a winter day and he noticed that she had only a thin linen gown to wear for protection against the cold. He reached into his pocket to give her some money for a coat, and found he had little left. It struck him that the Lord was not pleased with how he had spent his money. He asked himself: "Will Thy Master say, 'Well done, good and faithful steward?' Thou has adorned thy walls with the money that might have screened this poor creature from the cold! O justice! O mercy! Are not these pictures the blood of this poor maid?"

Think about that as you consider that 58 inch plasma TV, the blood of the poor.

If you find yourself in a bookstore, go to chapter 16 and find the heading "Why Live More Simply?" Read it. (Or buy it.)

Happy Birthday Nathan!

noreply@blogger.com (Jordan) — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 03:00:00 +0000

My little brother is a teenager today.

Nathan, even though the way your age is described has changed, that doesn't mean you have to change. Don't let the label of "teenager" define who you are or how you act.

And keep loving Mom.

Happy birthday!

Was Paul Wrong?

noreply@blogger.com (Jordan) — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 03:14:00 +0000

Call me crazy, but I don't think the apostles would have ever imagined that 2000 years would pass by without Christ's return. Have you ever noticed how Paul seemed to expect Christ to return within his lifetime? If so, have you then ever wondered what he would have done differently had he not made this assumption?

Let's look at how it seems he assumed Christ's return to be in his lifetime.

1Th 4:15 For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep.
1Th 4:16 For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.
1Th 4:17 Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.
1Th 4:18 Therefore encourage one another with these words.

Notice how he says "we who are alive, who are left" as though he is assuming he will be counted among those still alive when this happens. Think I am making too much of this verse? Let's keep looking.

1Co 7:26 I think that in view of the present distress it is good for a person to remain as he is.

1Co 7:29 This is what I mean, brothers: the appointed time has grown very short. From now on, let those who have wives live as though they had none,
1Co 7:30 and those who mourn as though they were not mourning, and those who rejoice as though they were not rejoicing, and those who buy as though they had no goods,
1Co 7:31 and those who deal with the world as though they had no dealings with it. For the present form of this world is passing away.

Apparently he felt "the appointed time" had grown so very short that he advised people not to marry, as though "the present form of the world" would pass away within a lifetime. In other words, "You won't be around much longer, so don't be concerned with things like marriage."

Now if you aren't tracking with me yet, thinking to yourself that these passages teach us the doctrine of Christ's imminent return, that we and Christians for the past 2000 years ought to have lived expecting Christ to return "any moment now", then answer me this: Are you living as Paul teaches in 1 Cor. 7:29-31? I mean, really consider yourself; do you really buy as though you have no goods? Do you really live with your wife as though you had none?

Even if you don't buy anything I say, if you believe Paul is here teaching Christ's imminent return today, I encourage you to live as Paul advises. (And if you've read here before at all, I would suggest that this lifestyle looks a lot like simple living.)

For those of you that, like me, wonder if Paul was wrong in making an assumption, or if you would just humor me, what then are the implications? The danger, I feel, is to start doubting Paul's teachings. I mean, while it may be entirely true that a married man's interests are divided (1 Cor. 7:33-34), it is tempting to dismiss the advice in this passage because Paul based it upon a wrong assumption. This is why verse 25 is so important, "I have no command from the Lord, but I give my judgment as one who by the Lord's mercy is trustworthy." So Paul's advice here is just that--his own advice. And if I think he is wrong, then I am not calling into question the inerrancy of Scripture, but the inerrancy of Paul. So the implication of Paul being wrong is that we can doubt and disagree with the things he says are from him and not the Lord without casting doubt upon Scripture.

What other implications are there? Would Paul have lived differently? Have you ever wondered?

Displaying My Genius

noreply@blogger.com (Jordan) — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 02:21:00 +0000

It has officially been one month since my last post, if you were wondering. And I'm okay with that.

Now I could try to write something really insightful. Or attempt to convince you of my views. All while giving my best to do grammar. But right now I'd rather offer someone else's words.

I just read a Spurgeon sermon. He said some things relating to my day job, so I thought it was interesting. You might not, but hey whatever. As it relates to this blog, my one month absence, and the slightly different tone of this post, Spurgeon said something descriptive of my engineering-kind, that we are driven "in order that they might have an opportunity of displaying their genius." And I fear that is what has driven me to blog. Not that I am a genius, but I pretend to be. In all things we ought to lift up our God, not ourselves. So will I change? Trying, I am. (And I hope that even this attempt at humility is not just more of the same.)

Spurgeon, from the sermon True Prayer--True Power!:

You do not go to work without knowing that there is something that you designed to make; how is it that you go to God without knowing what you design to have?

I believe there have been many great engineers, who have designed and constructed some of the most wonderful of human works, not because they would be renumerative, but simply from a love of showing their own power to accomplish wonders. To show the world what skill could do and what man could accomplish, they have tempted companies into speculations that could never remunerate apparently, so far as I could see, in order that they might have an opportunity of displaying their genius. O Christian men, and shall a great Engineer attempt great works and display his power, and will you who have a mightier power that ever was wielded by any man apart from his God—will you let that be still? Nay think of some great object, strain the sinews of your supplications for it. Let every vein of your heart be full to the brim with the rich blood of desire, and struggle, and wrestle, and tug and strive with God for it, using the promises and pleading the attributes, and see if God does not give you your heart's desire. I challenge you this day to exceed in prayer my Master's bounty. I throw down the gauntlet to you.

Whoa.

Your Eternal Dream Home

noreply@blogger.com (Jordan) — Mon, 25 May 2009 00:29:00 +0000

I scaped some land yesterday (aka landscaping) for a friend. This is a different aspect of housework than was discussed last time, but can be glorifying to God all the same. It was an effort to bring order, function, and art to an unruly yard. It is subduing creation (Gen 1:28).

As I worked, I thought of John 14:2, "In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you."

So it seems that housework like this is glorifying to God in the sense that He is doing it too. I mean this in a much more literal sense than cleaning dishes. We could talk about how the Church is God's building as in Ephesians 2:10,20-22, or how our work in God's kingdom is like building as in 1 Cor. 3:9-10. For now I want to look at how God is literally in the house construction business.

I helped landscape so someone's house could be more pleasant. They wanted a "nice" home. There is some room for this, but in reality it is another form of nearsightedness, a lack of eternal perspective. Randy Alcorn writes in Money Possessions and Eternity,

When I was a pastor, a wonderful couple came to my office and told me they wanted to be able to give more money to the church and to missions, but they couldn't if they were going to keep saving to build their dream house. They said, "We've always had this dream for a beautiful home in the country, and we can't seem to shake it. Is that wrong?" I told them I thought their dream of a perfect home was from God. I think they were surprised to hear that. Then I said, "It's just that your dream can't be fulfilled here, in this world."

Our dream house is coming; we don't have to build it ourselves. In fact, we can't. Any dream house on earth will eventually be ravaged by time, floods, earthquakes, tornadoes, carpenter ants, or freeway bypasses. Who would want to divert kingdom funds to build a dream house on earth if they understood that either it will leave them or they will leave it? Instead why not use our resources to send building materials ahead to the Carpenter, our Bridegroom, who this very moment is building our dream house in heaven?

He goes on to demonstrate from scripture how our heavenly dwellings and rewards are described as very tangible things. The magnitude of our reward then is proportional to our Kingdom work now on earth.

If we imagine that Jesus employs the angels in our heavenly building projects, we might envision asking them, "Why isn't my house larger than this?" To which they might reply, "We did the best we could with what you sent us."

Perhaps like me you sometimes enjoy driving through rich neighborhoods to admire the homes. But let's not set our sights so low. Let's not be jealous of those with a nice house but empty soul. Let's not make our lives about affluence but rather about obedience, knowing we will surely be rewarded after our work is done.

Happy Conception Day

noreply@blogger.com (Jordan) — Thu, 21 May 2009 03:50:00 +0000

If Christians really believe in the sanctity of life, then why don't we celebrate birthdays as well as conception days? To make it easy we can just count back nine months from the birthday.

I'm serious.

The Glory of Housework

noreply@blogger.com (Jordan) — Sun, 03 May 2009 00:11:00 +0000

Some say working around the house is drudgery. I for one certainly put off laundry and dishes as long as possible. Things just seem to keep getting dirty. Unfortunately they don't wash themselves.

So it is with me--I just keep getting dirty. I can't wash myself.

Recently as I finally got around to those dishes I communed with God in a very significant way. Just as I scrubbed a pot, I was reminded of my own filth and how God scrubs me. Sometimes I gotta scrub real hard. So does God. At those times it easy to focus on the difficulty of the situation, the momentary affliction, the struggle. But that dirty pot needs to understand that I need it clean. There is more use for it. And no doubt, I will get it clean. So it is with God.

As you go about those monotonous tasks, remember that God is in the cleaning business. You glorify Him as you exemplify His patience, grace, and sovereign determination even as you go about seemingly insignificant chores. This is the glory of housework.

Now for those dishes...

The Snobbery of Etiquette

noreply@blogger.com (Jordan) — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 03:56:00 +0000

Recently as I was dining semi-formally someone noted that it is proper for the server to set down the plate from the left and to remove it from the right. Drinks however should be both served and removed from the right. And since there are multiple forks, you must start with the utensils furthest out and work inwards.

I get incredibly irritated by this stuff. Who cares from which side your plate comes? Do you really need multiple forks? Does it really matter?

It is certainly important to be polite and considerate when dining. But that's my whole point--being considerate.

Consider this boy: Ten years old, he lives in eastern India with his mother. His house has grass walls and a dirt floor. His father died. His mother does any labor she can to make money. They eat maize and rice. Do you think he cares if his plate is given him from the left? Do you think he wonders which fork to use?

So when someone insists upon adherence to some superficial pointless rules of etiquette, I take it as outright snobbery. Who are we trying to impress? Why do we want to act high-class? Lifting ourselves in this manner only pushes the lower class lower. Instead:

Rom. 12:16 Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight.

Why Bad Things Happen

noreply@blogger.com (Jordan) — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 01:54:00 +0000

Why does God let bad things happen?

Short answer: Don't ask this question. God is God and we are but mere men. He is not obligated to explain Himself to us.

Slightly longer answer: Job 38-41.

Lame, unbiblical answer by people who need an explanation for everything: God gave us freedom. If he restrained evil, we wouldn't be truly free.

On a related note,

Rom 9:18 So then he has mercy on whomever he wills, and he hardens whomever he wills.
Rom 9:19 You will say to me then, "Why does he still find fault? For who can resist his will?"
Rom 9:20 But who are you, O man, to answer back to God? Will what is molded say to its molder, "Why have you made me like this?"