Ears to Hear

It’s been about four years since my oldest granddaughter has been involved in the annual singing recital at her grade school. During these four years I have been required to endure listening to first year instrument students in the 5th grade band/orchestra recital which is held immediately after the singing recital. You can’t just get up and walk out after your kin’s part is over...can you? I never thought that it could be possible that so many bad notes could be played simultaneously on flutes, violins, violas, trumpets, tubas, bassoons and oboes all under the admiring eyes of a 5th grade music teacher wielding a mighty baton.

Please don’t misunderstand. I think it is wonderful that kids this age are introduced to the fine arts and their exposure to that world is beneficial to all. Beethoven, Bach and Brahms are resting peacefully knowing that 5th graders all over the USA are attempting to play compositions that were written by these masters hundreds of years ago. I am quite positive that as young adults they will fondly remember these days while delivering pizzas during time off from their orchestral concert dates.

But wait....! Something amazing has happened this year...2008. Mark it down! My grandkid has reached the 5th grade this year and sits in the flautist section. A major change has ocurred. It is absolutely astounding to me that the 5th grade band/orchestra could actually improve so greatly in only a year's time. How was that possible? Could Obama have had anything to do with it?

It's Amazing!

H/T: Lisa

Can You Hear Me Now...?

If you haven’t had the pleasure OR misfortune of reading this public restroom "urban legend", here it is once again for your entertainment:

I had barely sat down when I heard a voice from the other bathroom stall saying, "How are you?" I don't know what got into me, but I answered, somewhat embarrassed, "Doin' just fine." And the other person said, "So what are you up to?" (What kind of a question is that?)

At that point, I was thinking, "This is too bizarre," so I said, "Uh, I'm like you - just traveling." At this point I was just trying to get out as fast as I could when I heard another question. "Can I come over?" O.K., this question was just too weird for me, but I figured I could just be polite and end the conversation. I answered: "No. I'm a little busy right now."

Then I heard the person say, nervously: "Listen, I'll have to call you back. There's an idiot in the next stall who keeps answering all my questions."

Such are the makings of the vignettes in our modern "cell-phone" age. Larry Dixon, Professor of Theology at Columbia Biblical Seminary & School of Missions, has come up with a unique idea for utilizing the cell-phone for evangelization. Here’s what he offers:

"We can turn this contemporary phenomenon of cultural impoliteness to the Kingdom’s advantage! We can get our own wired thingies, plug them into our ears, and carry on strategic, scripted conversations in public. But – and here’s the really brilliant idea – we can pretend to be speaking with someone on the other end of the line, but actually be witnessing to the nearest PICV ("Person in Cell phone Vicinity"). And we don’t even have to have a contract with a cellular company. The wired thingy doesn’t have to really work!

You find yourself standing in line in the local post office. Your conversation goes something like this:

"Yes, my dear, I understand your objection. But the Good News about Jesus Christ is really simple. It’s as simple as A-B-C. ‘A’ stands for the fact that you must accept Jesus Christ as your Savior. ‘B’ indicates that you must believe that He died for you. And ‘C’ refers to the fact that you must confess your sins to Him and ask Him into your heart. Yes, I know, Dear. I know you’ve seen some hypocrites in churches. But you’ll never find any fault with Jesus . . ."

Read the full article: Celling—the Gospel

Talk About Optimism

In April of this year I blogged about A Box of Old Books. This box has been a continual treasure for me, especially a book entitled "Valiant for the Truth, a Treasury of Evangelical Writings." From time to time I just pick up this book and open to a random page and begin to read. Now, this blog may be one of the shortest in my short blogging career. Here is the optimism and encouragement that I read this morning on the first open page:

"O Christian workers, my heart is high with hope. The dark horizon is blooming into the morning of which the prophets spoke, and of which poets have dreamed, and of which painters have sketched. The mountains will kiss the morning radiant and effulgent, and all the waves of the sea will become the crystal keys of a great organ, on which the fingers of everlasting joy shall play the grand march of a world redeemed." (T. De Witt Talmage, 1832-1902)

Talmage was a "Wordsmith". What a way to start the day!

The “Right” Thing

It is extremely hard for me to fathom that anyone, let alone a candidate for the Presidency of the United States of America, could say these words regarding a teen pregnancy: "if they make a mistake, I don't want them punished with a baby", thereby advocating the killing of human life, i.e. the baby, for the sake of convenience.

How long does one have to stop and think about that statement before the realization hits one square in the face..just who it is that is being punished for the mistake in the scenario above. Have we, as a civilized society, gone so far down that slippery slope that the abuse of a puppy dog garners more public sympathy than taking the life of an innocent infant in the safety of his mother’s womb? Is this really a "right" thing, that one person has over another person? Don’t we still "...hold these truths to be self evident....." I would hope and pray that the young women in our land that make that mistake would do the "right" thing. That is our only hope. Our efforts and prayers and focus should be toward the Juno’s of our society for the immediate future. For those who didn’t do the "right" thing...know that God has provided forgiveness by His marvelous grace through faith in the One who has given His life a ransom for many...even our Lord Jesus Christ.

Providence or Blind Luck?

"Set the brake on the lead boxcar on track 23, Van", shouted the foreman. During my 2-1/2 year stint as a railroad trainman, I had set the brakes on hundreds of cars. This night was different. It was the middle of winter, midnight shift, six inches of fresh snow on the ground and my mind was somewhere other than the Santa Fe Rail Yard in Argentine, Ks.

I carelessly scurried up the ladder on the end of the boxcar to attempt to get to the platform where the brake could be set. I reached out for the top rung after letting go of the previous rung with my other hand. I grabbed a handful of air. I missed the top rung and my other hand had already released the rung below. Can you picture it? Now, I am going to give you the scenario as it should have played out from this point. The ladder on a boxcar goes up the full height of the car. This is somewhere between 11’ and 15’ off the ground. Since my right hand had missed the top rung my body should have fallen straight backwards onto the steel rail below which is perpendicular to the ladder. My head should have hit first in the center of this iron rail, probably crushing the skull. I weighed approximately 180 lb at the time and the force from a 15’ fall probably should have killed me instantly upon hitting the rail below.

So, what did happen? From my vantagepoint, upside down in mid air, I don’t really know how it happened..but here’s what did happen. I either gave a little push to the left, as I was falling...or God...? I ended up doing a perfect back dive from the top of the 15’ ladder of this box car..head first and hit the small ski jump area that identifies most all railroad tracks. Tracks are built up on a mound and I hit this mound perfectly as though it were a small ski jump. Six inches of fresh snow cushioned my fall. I slid to a halt about 6 feet from the rail totally uninjured. Not even the wind knocked out of me. My lantern, which was held in my left hand, went flying. The Engineer later told me he had never seen a trainman give a signal quite like the one he saw that night. He and the other co-workers came running to me. I was fine!. I finished the eight hour shift....and 50 years later still wonder what happened during that fall.

Providence or blind luck? We know, don’t we? "My times are in Thy hands:.." (Ps 31:15)

(Argentine Rail Yard)

Prove It

The following question was asked on a recent discussion forum: "How would you "specifically" prove the God of the Bible exists? " Here are my thoughts:

Several verses come to mind with this question:

Rom 1:19 Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them: for God hath shewed it unto them.
Job 11:7 Canst thou by searching find out God?

Utilizing a musical metaphor, there seems to be, according to the Romans 1 verse a resonant "God Chord" within man that if generally revealed truth be followed without corrupting, it would lead one to at least discover the "eternal power and Godhead" of God.(vs 20). And of course when the truth of God’s general revelation is encountered that resonant chord within begins to vibrate to the tune of "Holy, Holy, Holy" and unconverted man then begins to run as fast and as far as he can from this truth. So it seems to me that to try to "prove" that the God of the Bible exists is a futile effort from the outset. The answer to the Job verse is, of course...No! God must reveal Himself to be the God of the Bible. And....."Amazing Grace"....He does just that!

William Dembski writes in the introduction of his book MERE CREATION: "To say intelligent causes are empirically detectable is to say there exists well-defined methods that, on the basis of observational features of the world, are capable of reliably distinguishing intelligent causes from undirected natural causes." He goes on to say..."Intelligent design detects intelligence without speculating about the nature of the intelligence"

Man even runs away from the truth of "intelligent design" which doesn’t even attempt to identify the designer. Rom 1:20 "For the invisible things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen...." Man wants no part of, even, an unidentified "intelligent designer" even if empirically detectable.

But to the one for whom you would desire to prove that the "God of the Bible exists.." you pray for that one, you preach the Word and be prepared in season and out.. that: "...the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto (that one) the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him:.." Eph 1:17 and then you can say to that one with Paul, "And you hath he quickened who was dead in trespasses and sins:.." Eph 2:1 It is truly by GRACE that we are saved!

Then...he needs no proof...Christ says to him " I was made manifest to them that asked not after me". Rom 10:20b I KNOW whom I have believed and am persuaded that he is able...." II Tim 1:12

This question could be the basis of a good sermon, by a good preacher, or, at least, a good song:

I sought the Lord, and afterward I knew
he moved my soul to seek him, seeking me;
it was not I that found, O Savior true;
no, I was found of thee.

Here Come ‘Da Judge

Twice this week the phrase, "judge not", was commended to me by two unrelated sources. The first from a friend advocating an aberrant theology and the second in a news story regarding a political hopeful in a Florida congressional race. Now, I will admit that the first was stated on a humorous note..from the self proclaimed Pastor and only congregant of "The Church of Dynamic Pragmatism" whatever that is..however, the second from a political hopeful who has been caught in a sex scandal who won his seat in 2006 against an opponent that was caught in a sex scandal. Hypocrisy abounds, unlimited by political ideology.

This warning comes from Matthew Chapter 7:1. "Judge not, that you be not judged." Just what does this mean? I have heard it used as a command to not question erroneous theologians and defective theology, to advocating tolerance of all deviant behaviors. "Judge not"...rolls glibly off the tongue in this age of tolerance, supposedly as a loving and caring statement against insensitivity.

When the context of this particular command is examined it becomes readily apparent that this is a prohibition against individual hypocritical condemnation that may in the end result in the exposure and condemnation of one’s own faults. The passage continues.. "For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you." This is in essence saying what has become the common jargon of our day: "Be careful what you say and do because what goes around comes around." I’ll bet you didn’t know you were paraphrasing scripture with that adage. This reminds me of the Baskin-Robbins Bible verse. Yes, they have built an ice cream empire on the principles found in Matthew chapter 7 and elsewhere. How so? Have you ever gone into a Baskin-Robbins store and ordered a quart of ice cream? It is a thing of beauty to watch the clerk fill the container with ice cream. The closest description I can relate to you is found in Luke 6:38. It is lovingly packed "...good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over." I’ve dubbed that the Baskin-Robbins verse. They can really pack some kinda’ ice cream! And..they ain’t stingy with the product. They live out the statement "...with what measure you use it will be measured to you".

"Judge not".. does not mean, do not attempt to discern truth from error; it does not mean, do not analyze the situation to determine good from evil; it does not mean, do not decide if one is a true prophet or a false prophet. In verse 15 Jesus says beware of "false prophets"..so it can’t mean do not attempt to ascertain the truth of a matter. In 1 John 4:1 we are admonished to "try the spirits, whether they are of God"

So...what DOES it mean? In essence, I believe, it means (in modern jargon) do not attempt to take the law into your own hands. Just as an individual is not permitted to declare war against another nation, which is a government’s prerogative, so also an individual is not permitted to utilize the "keys of the kingdom" which have been given to the Church. The judgment, which is spoken of in Matthew 7, is a judgment of condemnation. In other words, in passing judgment, one has taken on the responsibility of "Judge, Jury and Executioner". Jesus said in Mt 16:19 "And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." This is the discipline that is necessary in the Church, but to be administered only by those officers so ordained. The individuals first responsibility is one of self-judgment. Then, he is able, not to condemn his brother, but, to help him see the error that may have crept into his understanding. (remove the piece of 2x4 out of your own eye...then you can see to help your brother with his sawdust)

"The marks by which the true Church is known are these: If the pure doctrine of the gospel is preached therein; if it maintains the pure administration of the sacraments as instituted by Christ; if church discipline is exercised in chastening of sin; in short, if all things are managed according to the pure Word of God, all things contrary thereto rejected, and Jesus Christ acknowledged as the only Head of the Church. Hereby the true Church may certainly be known, from which no man has a right to separate himself." Belgic Confession of Faith, Article 29

What happens when the Church abdicates it’s responsibility to "judge" righteously? That’s a whole ‘nother blog!