Musings
Ramblings.
Rants.
Thoughts (half-baked or otherwise).
Musings on various topics... sometimes only tangentially related to Scripture.
Many of these articles were previously published in the Psalm11918.org blog.
I am a member of various online communities including the "Faith Driven Business" community on LinkedIn. A question was posed recently in the discussion forums:
Do you struggle with balancing wealth and humility?
And should we be? Steve Hoeft, the founder of Faith Driven Business, discusses his views on wealth and how to view money as a Christian entrepreneur. What he has to say may be surprising! Read and comment below! https://faithdrivenbusiness.com/7-reasons-why-god-wants-to-make-entrepreneurs-wealthy/
Here was my contribution to the conversation:
A friend of mine recently shared an astounding fact. 90% of children who grow up in evangelical homes make a decision to follow Christ but only 22% of that group are still following Christ by age 35.
Before they are 35 years old, 80% of children who grew up in evangelical homes are not following Christ.
EIGHTY percent.
I had to check this out.
In 1847, Ernst Haeckel created sketches of embryos in various states of development and used them in his biology textbook, Anthropogenie. Modern science has proven these images to be inaccurate at best and outright fraudulent at worst.
Although the images were debunked in the early 1900s, they were still being used in school textbooks as late as 2004 .{footnote}Cecie Starr & Ralph Taggart, Biology: The Unity and Diversity of Life, Tenth Edition (Belmont, CA: Thomson Learning, 2004), p. 315.
Joseph Raver, Biology: Patterns and Processes of Life (Dallas, TX: J. M. LeBel Publishers, 2004), p. 100.
Donald Voet & Judith G. Voet, Biochemistry, Third Edition (Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, 2004), p. 14.{/footnote}
Christians who believe in the Biblical account of Creation point to the continued use of Haeckel's images as proof that lies are being presented as evidence of evolution to unsuspecting public school students. They demand that it stop, and their common chant is "Truth above all!"
Unfortunately, specific ideas within Christianity that have been debunked by archaeologists, historians, and modern Biblical scholars also continue to be presented as truth to an unsuspecting audience. We should follow the exhortation of Paul from 1 Thessalonians 5:21, "Put everything to the test. Hold on to what is good."
In part 1 of this series, I noted that Ernst Haeckel's inaccurate sketches of embryos in various stages of development from 1847 were still being used in public school textbooks as late as the early 2000s. Similarly, specific ideas within Christianity debunked by archaeologists, historians, and modern Biblical scholars continue to be presented as truth to an unsuspecting audience.
The first error I addressed was an inaccurate view of first-century Judaism's teaching on salvation presented in a small booklet mentioned previously. A second error also had me shaking my head in disbelief.
The Hebrew word for "atonement" (kippur) literally means "a covering" but in the context of the Levitical priesthood and sacrifices it has to do with ritual cleansing. The root word, kopher, means "a ransom". The "kippur"/atonement offerings are literally the ransom or price of ritual cleansing... and that ransom involves blood.
In Leviticus 14:52, the blood of a bird is used to cleanse a house with "leprosy":
My precious daughter (a senior attending high school at the time) came home one day with tears in her eyes.
"Sweetheart, what's wrong?", I asked and hugged her.
"Nothing," she sniffled.
"Do you want to talk about it?"
"No."
"Okay. I love you, and I want to help in any way I can. Just let me know," I said with another brief hug.
I began to turn away but was immediately engulfed in an emotionally-charged 30-minute, non-stop account of a heated conversation between three of her close friends that resulted in all three of them being mad at her and each other. It all stemmed from a question one of the girls had asked about someone utterly unrelated to their group.
The day of Passover begins tonight at sundown and the seder meal occurs tomorrow evening. All the preparations for the moed of Pesach are complete except one: the final search for chametz.
As I've previously written, the question of Messiah's divinity has been asked and answered: yes, Yeshua is G-d's Word in the flesh. As Scripture itself declares,
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth. (John 1:1, 14)
Earlier this week, HarperOne (which is owned by HarperCollins, the parent company of Zondervan) published a 416-page book by Bart Ehrman entitled "How Jesus Became God- The Exaltation of a Jewish Preacher from Galilee". In his book, Ehrman expands upon many of the same arguments that critics have been exercising for the past century or more:
Movieguide.org recently released its 2014 annual report and made the observation that for the first time in its 22 years of reporting, religious, family-friendly, and patriotic movies made up nine of the top ten grossing movies in 2013. They found the top movies with faith-centered themes of redemption earned over 400% more on average than those with a non-Christian worldview. It would seem that Hollywood has taken note and they're beginning to deliver more of what Christians want.
Or are they?
There are so many holidays that we don't keep. You can add Valentine's Day to the list if you are keeping track. It's not that we don't love you. We love you year-round and even draw hearts, but we don't do Valentine's Day.
November 19th, 1863.
In the chilly afternoon of an early winter, Abraham Lincoln delivered an address to those assembled at a field near Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. His speech has become one of the most renowned in our nation's history. It was the Gettysburg Address.
The Biblical principles regarding offense and forgiveness are essential to community life. If we desire to remain in fellowship with one another, then we should commit to following the Bible's pattern for handling offense and granting forgiveness every time an offense occurs... even a minor one.
Consider the words of Paul in his letter to the believers in Colossae:
I saw this amazing video the other day and two things came to mind...
The heavens declare His righteousness, And all the peoples have seen His glory. - Psalm 97:6
and this...
The Atlantic ran an incredible 28-photo presentation of the 2013 Powerhouse Fire in California's Angeles National Forest. The article, The Terrible Beauty of California's Powerhouse Fire, included this image:
Without these powerful reminders from the creation, we can really lose sight of the significance and weight of the words of Scripture that describe our Creator:
A hundred years after the church was founded in Jerusalem, a controversy raged within the congregation. The outcome was a doctrinal turnaround with far-reaching consequences. The losers in that debate were subsequently rejected by Christianity. The winning side passed down to us their slant on church history which has strongly influenced our understanding of the New Testament.
Few Christians are aware of the changes that occurred at that time. The traditional interpretations of events are seldom questioned. Like the author of the historical account below, we allow our presuppositions to blind us to the implications of those early changes to Christianity.
For an overview of the early development of Christianity, let's look at a classic text that was first published in 1776 and is still widely used and respected by historians. Although various scholars have disagreed with some of Edward Gibbon's interpretations of history, the accuracy of the historic facts he recorded has rarely been disputed.
Read more of Ron's article, How the Apostles Were Expelled from Christianity on his site, Fogwhistle.ca.
Messiah Yeshua is prophet (Matthew 21:11), priest (Hebrews 3:1), and king (Matthew 2:2).
The book of Hebrews tells us that He served as our great high priest in the order of Melchizedek to "offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins" (Hebrews 5:1). We know He is a priest because He offered up one sacrifice for sins for all time (Hebrews 10:12) and intercedes with G-d on behalf of humanity (1 Timothy 2:5). That is the very definition of a priest.
The Gospels (e.g., Matthew 27:11, 27:37) tell us that Messiah is the King of the Jews. We know He is their King because He laid down His life for them... and for all who belong to Him. (John 10:11, 15, Matthew 27:11) When He returns, He will reign over all the world. Every knee will bow, and every tongue confess He is Lord. (Romans 14:11, Philippians 2:10)
But in what way is Messiah a prophet?
It's Tuesday morning at 7:20 AM, and traffic is really backed up on the off-ramp today.
Cars take turns: one car exits, one car enters, and one exits... until the Red Suburban Man.
I exit... well, try to exit.
Red Suburban Man wants to skip common courtesy, and HEY! YOU ALMOST RAN INTO MY NEW CAR, YOU JERK!
My new car honks to let Red Suburban Man know his social skills need improvement.
A window rolls down, and Red Suburban Man presents me two small gifts: the bird and a loud "F--- YOU!"
Like a scene from The Matrix, time... slows to... a sudden... crawl...
April 22 is Earth Day. According to the EarthDay.org website, "Earth Day broadens the base of support for environmental programs, rekindles public commitment, and builds community activism around the world through a broad range of events and activities. Earth Day is the world's largest civic event, celebrated simultaneously worldwide by people of all backgrounds, faiths, and nationalities. More than a billion people participate in our campaigns every year." {footnote}taken 4/14/2013 from https://www.earthday.org/frequently-asked-questions {/footnote}
Sometimes people confuse Earth Day and the environmental movement with tikkun olam [תיקון עולם]. Tikkun olam is a Hebrew phrase that means "repairing the world" or "healing the world". While it can potentially include environmental considerations, Judaism primarily teaches this concept as a shared responsibility to take social action and pursue social justice.
So... Earth Day... Tikkun Olam... social justice...
How should a believer understand these ideas and act on them? What did Messiah say about these things? Let's start at the beginning:
Jerry sat staring at his laptop screen in unbelief.
"Fourteen hundred dollars?!? Where am I going to get fourteen hundred dollars? This stupid software was supposed to make sure you got a big fat refund on your taxes, not a giant bill!"
"What if I just... fudged some of the numbers a bit?", he thought out loud.
Otherwise entitled, "Why Do We Seem to Exchange One Idol for Another?"
Update: Tim Hegg visited my congregation in San Antonio on the weekend of Jan 10-13, 2013. While there, he addressed some of the concerns I had initially aired in this article. I revised the article and reposted it after making some clarifications.
In the Fall 2012 issue of Messiah Journal from First Fruits of Zion (FFOZ), Boaz Michael makes an impassioned plea to his readers that they reconsider and reject One-Law and Two-House teachings as particularly insidious forms of anti-Semitic replacement theology.
He is right.
Some "One-Law" groups disregard the fact that the Torah itself makes distinctions between different groups. This is a form of idolatry in which Torah observance becomes the object of desire regardless of what the Torah and the apostles actually say.
"Two-House" theology ignores the fact that the apostles rejoice at Gentiles (rather than "lost tribe members") coming to salvation. This is a form of idolatry in which biological heritage in Israel becomes the object of desire regardless of what the Apostolic Writings actually say.
BUT...
Today’s Word of the Day from Merriam-Webster is hagiography.
It means (1) a biography of saints or venerated persons; (2) an idealizing or idolizing biography.
Their “Did You Know” section on the word caught my eye:
Like "biography" and "autograph," the word "hagiography" has to do with the written word. The combining form "-graphy" comes from Greek "graphein," meaning "to write." "Hagio-" comes from a Greek word that means "saintly" or "holy." This origin is seen in "Hagiographa," the Greek designation of the Ketuvim, the third division of the Hebrew Bible. Our English word "hagiography," though it can refer to biography of actual saints, is these days more often applied to biography that treats ordinary human subjects as if they were saints.
The Ketuvim is labeled Hagiographa in Greek but it also means a biography of saints (or holy ones).
"Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so!"
The famous children's song might have another verse: "Pork is yucky this I know, for the Bible tells me so!"
And modern studies are bearing out that fact. A recent Consumer Reports study found "significant amounts of harmful and antibiotic-resistant bacteria, along with low levels of a growth hormone used to promote growth in pigs..."
FoxNews.com ran the story in detail.
Check it out.
As usual, the Bible said it first:
The pig, because it divides the hoof but does not chew the cud, it is unclean for you. You shall not eat any of their flesh nor touch their carcasses. (Deuteronomy 14:8)
Jesus loves me this I know. Pork's no good, He told me so! ;)
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We give thanks to the Lord for the blessing of a dear friend, Becky Holland, who shared this grace after meals prayer for Thanksgiving Day.
https://www.jewishrenewalhasidus.org/wordpress/reb-zalmans-thanksgiving-prayer-5775/
May it be a blessing to you as well!
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Jeff let out a shrill whistle and Sarge charged the first obstacle, leaping over it. He low-crawled under the next barricade and then sprinted on to the next challenge. Running, jumping, crawling, and balancing his way through the course, the three year old German Shepherd constantly watched his trainer’s hand signals and listened to his voice. The bond of love between master and dog was plain to see.
...
George knocked on his neighbor’s door then rang the bell after nobody answered. Eventually, a disheveled, tired looking man opened the door and grumbled, “Whadda ya want? I was watching the game.” George handed the man a rope and replied, “I believe this belongs to you.” At the end of the rope was a dirty, scruffy looking mutt. “He got out again?” “Yes, and this time he tore up two more pillows on our back porch chairs.” The man jerked the rope, yanking the whimpering dog inside the house. “This stupid pooch is more trouble than he’s worth.”
...
As part of my day job, I examine articles about business, innovation, and technology. Recently I read this rather insightful article on TheAtlanticCities.com that contained this pithy observation:
If you ask most people, they'll tell you facts are facts. But the reality of the matter, as Samuel Arbesman points out in his brilliant new book, The Half-Life of Facts, is "[f]acts change all the time." To cite just a few of Arbesman's most compelling examples: We used to think that the earth was the center of the universe, that Pluto was a planet, and that brontosaurus was a real dinosaur.
I don't fault Mr. Arbesman for overlooking one caveat to his statement. I think most people would have done the same thing.
"Facts change all the time" is a true statement for facts that are uncovered and related by humanity.
The grass withers, the flower fades, But the word of our God stands forever. (Isaiah 40:8)
The truth revealed by our eternal, unchanging G-d is eternal and unchanging because the Word of G-d is G-d (John 1:1).
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My daughter’s cry pierced the darkened hallway.
"Daddy, don’t leave!"
I turned back to her room and sat back down on her bed. "What’s wrong, sweetie?"
"I can’t go to sleep if you aren’t here."
Joyful tears well up in my eyes as I remember that moment from a decade ago. It seems like only yesterday. It was the day that the Lord taught me the meaning of the word "abide".
The other day my son texted me after one of his late-afternoon college classes:
Power went out at home. How do I reconnect Netflix on the TV?
I responded:
Wrapping up at work now. Will fix it when I get home. 20 minutes.
Traffic was light, and I got home quickly. My wife was running errands and wasn't home yet, but my son's car was in its usual spot. As I walked into the house, things seemed normal.
The shades were still drawn, and the house was dark. School papers were scattered all over the kitchen. A cup, rolling slightly on its side, was empty on the counter; its contents dripping onto the tile floor in a syncopated rhythm to the ticking of the kitchen clock. The appliances in the kitchen mindlessly flashed their repetitive message: 12:42... 12:42... 12:42.
Tick... drip-blink. Tick-blink... drip. Blink-tick... drip.
If you ever get into a conversation with an anti-missionary, ask them one question from the "What Do the Rabbis Say About Messiah" website.
https://moshiachontheweb.com
Update: that site is down, but the content that was there is in this PDF: What the Rabbonim Say About Moshiach.
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Recent events have brought the homosexual agenda back into the national spotlight:
- The Boy Scouts of America decided to affirm their ban on gay boys from membership or homosexual adults from leadership.
- Chick-fil-A president, Dan Cathy, expressed support for traditional marriage on "The Ken Coleman Show" and set off a firestorm of criticism and debate.
- A Colorado cake shop refused to create a cake for a gay wedding and is facing a boycott.
Charges of "bigotry" and "homophobia" have been leveled against Chick-fil-A, the Boy Scouts, the cake shop, and anyone who disagrees with the homosexual agenda. Let's examine what's going on and see how we can respond to these charges.
Have you ever had a day where frustrations were mounting and you said a little prayer along the lines of "Oh, Lord, give me patience"? You may have noticed that G-d often seems to answer those prayers by bringing something (or someone?) into your life that will test your patience... a lot.
Being the sensible guy that I am, I have learned to curb my tongue when it comes to uttering that particular prayer. I'm like a child at the dinner table when the spinach is being passed around: "Patience? No, thank you, Lord. I'm full."
On the other hand, I usually seem to have an appetite for more wisdom. As it is with desert, my response to wisdom has usually been "May I have more, please?"