It was foretold that Elisha would receive a double portion of the anointing that was on his master if he saw his master go up into heaven.
(What does that mean in this context to get a double portion anyway. The original idea is that a first born gets a double portion. Joseph was given a double portion by Jacob when Jacob handed out his blessings. Jacob considered him a first born since he was the first born of his favorite wife. But here we are talking about something spiritual, intangible.)
Anyway by shear perspicacity Elisha does so him go up and receives back Elijah's cloak.
2 Kings 5, 6, and 7 certainly confirms that Elisha has received a double portion of the gift of prophesy. Look at all the amazing marvels that he did.
Yet Elijah is the one who comes to Jesus along with Moses at the time of the Transfiguration.
It is Elijah that is to come back and prepare the way for Messiah.
It is for Elijah that observant Jews leave an empty chair at Passover in hope that the Messiah will still come back.
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Monday, February 21, 2011
reading the details of the bail out bill
Sen. Tom Coburn is an MD (general practitioner) and Senator from Oklahoma . and recognized as 'the conscience' of the US Senate. He is well respected on both 'sides of the aisle' & probably one of the few senators to actually read these 'bail-out' bills. (Google him for his background.)
This takes a couple of minutes. It's from his speech in the Senate and it should raise your blood pressure...
----------------------------------------------------------------
"We are going in exactly the wrong direction. We ought to be standing on the principles that made this country great. There ought to be a review of every program in the Federal Government that is not effective, that is not efficient, that is wasteful or fraudulent, and we ought to get rid of it right now. We ought to say, you're gone, to be able to pay for a real stimulus plan that might, in fact, have some impact.
I would be remiss if I didn't remind everybody that next week we are going to hear from the Obama administration wanting another $500 billion. Outside of this, they are going to want another $500 billion to handle the banking system. Still not fixing the real disease-the pneumonia-we are going to treat the fever or treat the cough, but we are not going to treat the real disease.
Until we treat the real disease, this is pure waste. It is worse than pure waste. It is morally reprehensible, because it steals the future of the next two generations.
I am going to wind up here and finish, but I wanted to spend some time to make sure the American people know what is in this bill. I think once they know what is in this bill, they would reject it out of hand.
Let me read for my colleagues some of the things that are in this bill...
The biggest earmark in history is in this bill. There is $2 billion in this bill to build a coal plant with zero emissions. That would be great, maybe, if we had the technology, but the greatest brains in the world sitting at MIT say we don't have the technology yet to do that. Why would we build a $2 billion power plant we don't have the technology for that we know will come back and ask for another $2 billion and another $2 billion and another $2 billion when we could build a demonstration project that might cost $150 million or $200 million? There is nothing wrong with having coal-fired plants that don't produce pollution; I am not against that. Even the Washington Post said the technology isn't there. It is a boondoggle. Why would we do that?
We eliminated tonight a $246 million payback for the large movie studios in Hollywood .
We are going to spend 88 Million to study whether we ought to buy a new ice breaker for the Coast Guard. You know what. The Coast Guard needs a new ice breaker. Why do we need to spend $88 million? They have two ice breakers now that they could retrofit and fix and come up with equivalent to what they needed to and not spend the $1 billion they are going to come back and ask for, for another ice breaker, so why would we spend $88 million doing that?
We are going to spend $448 million to build the Department of Homeland Security a new building. We have $1.3 trillion worth of empty buildings right now, and because it has been blocked in Congress we can't sell them, we can't raze them, we can't do anything, but we are going to spend money on a new building here in Washington ..
We are going to spend another $248 million for new furniture for that building; a quarter of a billion dollars for new furniture. What about the furniture the Department of Homeland Security has now? These are tough times. Should we be buying new furniture? How about using what we have? That is what a family would do. They would use what they have. They wouldn't go out and spend $248 million on furniture.
How about buying $600 million worth of hybrid vehicles? Do you know what I would say? Right now times are tough; I would rather Americans have new cars than Federal employees have new cars. What is wrong with the cars we have? Dumping $600 million worth of used vehicles on the used vehicle market right now is one of the worst things we could do. Instead, we are going to spend $600 million buying new cars for Federal employees..
There is $400 million in here to prevent STDs .. I have a lot of experience on that. I have delivered 4,000 babies. We don't need to spend $400 million on STDs. What we need to do is properly educate about the infection rates and the effectiveness of methods of prevention. That doesn't take a penny more. You can write that on one piece of paper and teach every kid in this country, but we don't need to spend $400 million on it. It is not a priority.
How about $1.4 billion for rural waste disposal programs? That might even be somewhat stimulative. New sewers. That might create jobs.
How about $150 million for a Smithsonian museum? Tell me how that helps get us out of a recession. Tell me how that is a priority. Would the average American think that is a priority that we ought to be mortgaging our kids' future to spend another $150 million at the Smithsonian?
How about $1 billion for the 2010 census? So everybody knows, the census is so poorly managed that the census this year is going to cost twice what it cost 10 years ago, and we wasted $800 million on a contract because it was no-bid that didn't perform. Nobody got fired, no competitive bidding, and we blew $800 million.
We have $75 million for smoking cessation activities, which probably is a great idea, but we just passed a bill-the SCHIP bill-that we need to get 21 million more Americans smoking to be able to pay for that bill. That doesn't make sense.
How about $200 million for public computer centers at community colleges? Since when is a community college in my State a recipient of Federal largesse? Is that our responsibility? I mean, did we talk with Dell and Hewlett-Packard and say, How do we make you all do better? Is there not a market force that could make that better?
Will we actually buy on a true competitive bid? No, because there is nothing that requires competitive bidding in anything in this bill. There is nothing that requires it. It is one of the things President Obama said he was going to mandate the Federal Government, but there is no competitive bidding in this bill at all.
We have $10 million to inspect canals in urban areas. Well, that will put 10 or 15 people to work. Is that a priority for us right now?
There is $6 billion to turn Federal buildings into green buildings. That is a priority, versus somebody getting a job outside of Washington , a job that actually produces something, that actually increases wealth?
How about $500 million for State and local fire stations? Where do you find in the Constitution us paying for local fire stations within our realm of prerogatives? None of it is competitively bid - not a grant program.
Next is $1.2 billion for youth activities. Who does that employ? What does that mean?
How about $88 million for renovating the public health service building? You know, if we could sell half of the $1.3 trillion worth of properties we have, we could take care of every Federal building requirement and backlog we have.
Then there's $412 million for CDC buildings and property. We spent billions on a new center and headquarters for CDC. Is that a priority? Building another Government building instead of - if we are going to spend $412 million on building buildings, let's build one that will produce something, one that will give us something.
How about $850 million for that most "efficient'' Amtrak that hasn't made any money since 1976 and continues to have $2 billion or $3 billion a year in subsidies?
Here is one of my favorites: $75 million to construct a new "security training'' facility for State Department security officers, and we have four other facilities already available to train them. But it is not theirs. They want theirs. By the way, it is going to be in West Virginia ... I wonder how that got there? So we are going to build a new training facility that duplicates four others that we already have that could easily do what we need to do. But because we have a stimulus package, we are going to add in oink pork.
How about $200 million in funding for a lease-not buying, but a lease of alternative energy vehicles on military installations?
We are going to bail out the States on Medicaid. Total all of the health programs in this, and we are going to transfer $150 billion out of the private sector and we are going to move it to the Federal Government. You talk about back dooring national health care. Henry Waxman has to be smiling big today. He wants a single-payer Government-run health care system. We are going to move another $150 billion to the Federal Government from the private sector.
We are going to eliminate fees on loans from the Small Business Administration. You know what that does? That pushes productive capital to unproductive projects. It is exactly the wrong thing to do.
Then there is $160 million to the Job Corps Program-but not for 20 jobs and not to put more people in the Job Corps but to construct or repair buildings.
We are going to spend $524 million for information technology upgrades that the Appropriations Committee claims will create 388 jobs. If you do the math on that, that is $1.5 million a job. Don't you love the efficiency of Washington thinking?
We are going to create $79 billion in additional money for the States, a "slush fund,'' to bail out States and provide millions of dollars for education costs. How many of you think that will ever go away? Once the State education programs get $79 billion over 2 years, do you think that will ever go away? The cry and hue of taking our money away - even though it was a stimulus and supposed to be limited, it will never go away. So we will continue putting that forward until our kids have grand kids of their own
There is about $47 billion for a variety of energy programs that are primarily focused on renewable energy. I am fine with spending that. But we ought to get something for it. There ought to be metrics. There are no metrics. It is pie in the sky, saying we will throw some money at it.
Let me conclude by saying we are at a seminal moment in our country. We will either start living within the confines of realism and responsibility or we will blow it and we will create the downfall of the greatest Nation that ever lived. This bill is the start of that downfall. To abandon a market-oriented society and transfer it to a Soviet-style, government-centered, bureaucratic-run and mandated program, that is the thing that will put the stake in the heart of freedom in this country.
I hope the American people know what is in this bill. I am doing everything I can to make sure they know. But more important, I hope somebody is listening who will treat the pneumonia we are faced with today, which is the housing and mortgage markets. It doesn't matter how much money we spend in this bill. It is doomed to failure unless we fix that problem first. Failing that, we will go down in history as the Congress that undermined the future and vitality of this country. Let it not be so."
============================================================
If you got to the end you are a better man than me. There is lots of practical advise in here. I pray that someone do something about this. I feel so overwhelmed. I suspect legislators do too. But they are the ones that can act.
This takes a couple of minutes. It's from his speech in the Senate and it should raise your blood pressure...
----------------------------------------------------------------
"We are going in exactly the wrong direction. We ought to be standing on the principles that made this country great. There ought to be a review of every program in the Federal Government that is not effective, that is not efficient, that is wasteful or fraudulent, and we ought to get rid of it right now. We ought to say, you're gone, to be able to pay for a real stimulus plan that might, in fact, have some impact.
I would be remiss if I didn't remind everybody that next week we are going to hear from the Obama administration wanting another $500 billion. Outside of this, they are going to want another $500 billion to handle the banking system. Still not fixing the real disease-the pneumonia-we are going to treat the fever or treat the cough, but we are not going to treat the real disease.
Until we treat the real disease, this is pure waste. It is worse than pure waste. It is morally reprehensible, because it steals the future of the next two generations.
I am going to wind up here and finish, but I wanted to spend some time to make sure the American people know what is in this bill. I think once they know what is in this bill, they would reject it out of hand.
Let me read for my colleagues some of the things that are in this bill...
The biggest earmark in history is in this bill. There is $2 billion in this bill to build a coal plant with zero emissions. That would be great, maybe, if we had the technology, but the greatest brains in the world sitting at MIT say we don't have the technology yet to do that. Why would we build a $2 billion power plant we don't have the technology for that we know will come back and ask for another $2 billion and another $2 billion and another $2 billion when we could build a demonstration project that might cost $150 million or $200 million? There is nothing wrong with having coal-fired plants that don't produce pollution; I am not against that. Even the Washington Post said the technology isn't there. It is a boondoggle. Why would we do that?
We eliminated tonight a $246 million payback for the large movie studios in Hollywood .
We are going to spend 88 Million to study whether we ought to buy a new ice breaker for the Coast Guard. You know what. The Coast Guard needs a new ice breaker. Why do we need to spend $88 million? They have two ice breakers now that they could retrofit and fix and come up with equivalent to what they needed to and not spend the $1 billion they are going to come back and ask for, for another ice breaker, so why would we spend $88 million doing that?
We are going to spend $448 million to build the Department of Homeland Security a new building. We have $1.3 trillion worth of empty buildings right now, and because it has been blocked in Congress we can't sell them, we can't raze them, we can't do anything, but we are going to spend money on a new building here in Washington ..
We are going to spend another $248 million for new furniture for that building; a quarter of a billion dollars for new furniture. What about the furniture the Department of Homeland Security has now? These are tough times. Should we be buying new furniture? How about using what we have? That is what a family would do. They would use what they have. They wouldn't go out and spend $248 million on furniture.
How about buying $600 million worth of hybrid vehicles? Do you know what I would say? Right now times are tough; I would rather Americans have new cars than Federal employees have new cars. What is wrong with the cars we have? Dumping $600 million worth of used vehicles on the used vehicle market right now is one of the worst things we could do. Instead, we are going to spend $600 million buying new cars for Federal employees..
There is $400 million in here to prevent STDs .. I have a lot of experience on that. I have delivered 4,000 babies. We don't need to spend $400 million on STDs. What we need to do is properly educate about the infection rates and the effectiveness of methods of prevention. That doesn't take a penny more. You can write that on one piece of paper and teach every kid in this country, but we don't need to spend $400 million on it. It is not a priority.
How about $1.4 billion for rural waste disposal programs? That might even be somewhat stimulative. New sewers. That might create jobs.
How about $150 million for a Smithsonian museum? Tell me how that helps get us out of a recession. Tell me how that is a priority. Would the average American think that is a priority that we ought to be mortgaging our kids' future to spend another $150 million at the Smithsonian?
How about $1 billion for the 2010 census? So everybody knows, the census is so poorly managed that the census this year is going to cost twice what it cost 10 years ago, and we wasted $800 million on a contract because it was no-bid that didn't perform. Nobody got fired, no competitive bidding, and we blew $800 million.
We have $75 million for smoking cessation activities, which probably is a great idea, but we just passed a bill-the SCHIP bill-that we need to get 21 million more Americans smoking to be able to pay for that bill. That doesn't make sense.
How about $200 million for public computer centers at community colleges? Since when is a community college in my State a recipient of Federal largesse? Is that our responsibility? I mean, did we talk with Dell and Hewlett-Packard and say, How do we make you all do better? Is there not a market force that could make that better?
Will we actually buy on a true competitive bid? No, because there is nothing that requires competitive bidding in anything in this bill. There is nothing that requires it. It is one of the things President Obama said he was going to mandate the Federal Government, but there is no competitive bidding in this bill at all.
We have $10 million to inspect canals in urban areas. Well, that will put 10 or 15 people to work. Is that a priority for us right now?
There is $6 billion to turn Federal buildings into green buildings. That is a priority, versus somebody getting a job outside of Washington , a job that actually produces something, that actually increases wealth?
How about $500 million for State and local fire stations? Where do you find in the Constitution us paying for local fire stations within our realm of prerogatives? None of it is competitively bid - not a grant program.
Next is $1.2 billion for youth activities. Who does that employ? What does that mean?
How about $88 million for renovating the public health service building? You know, if we could sell half of the $1.3 trillion worth of properties we have, we could take care of every Federal building requirement and backlog we have.
Then there's $412 million for CDC buildings and property. We spent billions on a new center and headquarters for CDC. Is that a priority? Building another Government building instead of - if we are going to spend $412 million on building buildings, let's build one that will produce something, one that will give us something.
How about $850 million for that most "efficient'' Amtrak that hasn't made any money since 1976 and continues to have $2 billion or $3 billion a year in subsidies?
Here is one of my favorites: $75 million to construct a new "security training'' facility for State Department security officers, and we have four other facilities already available to train them. But it is not theirs. They want theirs. By the way, it is going to be in West Virginia ... I wonder how that got there? So we are going to build a new training facility that duplicates four others that we already have that could easily do what we need to do. But because we have a stimulus package, we are going to add in oink pork.
How about $200 million in funding for a lease-not buying, but a lease of alternative energy vehicles on military installations?
We are going to bail out the States on Medicaid. Total all of the health programs in this, and we are going to transfer $150 billion out of the private sector and we are going to move it to the Federal Government. You talk about back dooring national health care. Henry Waxman has to be smiling big today. He wants a single-payer Government-run health care system. We are going to move another $150 billion to the Federal Government from the private sector.
We are going to eliminate fees on loans from the Small Business Administration. You know what that does? That pushes productive capital to unproductive projects. It is exactly the wrong thing to do.
Then there is $160 million to the Job Corps Program-but not for 20 jobs and not to put more people in the Job Corps but to construct or repair buildings.
We are going to spend $524 million for information technology upgrades that the Appropriations Committee claims will create 388 jobs. If you do the math on that, that is $1.5 million a job. Don't you love the efficiency of Washington thinking?
We are going to create $79 billion in additional money for the States, a "slush fund,'' to bail out States and provide millions of dollars for education costs. How many of you think that will ever go away? Once the State education programs get $79 billion over 2 years, do you think that will ever go away? The cry and hue of taking our money away - even though it was a stimulus and supposed to be limited, it will never go away. So we will continue putting that forward until our kids have grand kids of their own
There is about $47 billion for a variety of energy programs that are primarily focused on renewable energy. I am fine with spending that. But we ought to get something for it. There ought to be metrics. There are no metrics. It is pie in the sky, saying we will throw some money at it.
Let me conclude by saying we are at a seminal moment in our country. We will either start living within the confines of realism and responsibility or we will blow it and we will create the downfall of the greatest Nation that ever lived. This bill is the start of that downfall. To abandon a market-oriented society and transfer it to a Soviet-style, government-centered, bureaucratic-run and mandated program, that is the thing that will put the stake in the heart of freedom in this country.
I hope the American people know what is in this bill. I am doing everything I can to make sure they know. But more important, I hope somebody is listening who will treat the pneumonia we are faced with today, which is the housing and mortgage markets. It doesn't matter how much money we spend in this bill. It is doomed to failure unless we fix that problem first. Failing that, we will go down in history as the Congress that undermined the future and vitality of this country. Let it not be so."
============================================================
If you got to the end you are a better man than me. There is lots of practical advise in here. I pray that someone do something about this. I feel so overwhelmed. I suspect legislators do too. But they are the ones that can act.
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Praise
Psalm 150 is all about praise, halle means shout praise in Hebrew. There are lots of halleluiah's in psalm 150. Praising God gets our head on straight. I puts our situation in perspective. God has been forever and so will we with him. God is almighty. God is good. We praise him rightfully as his due.
I was asked for class to translate Ephesians 1 from the Greek. Wow. This is what the prof calls our "first effort".
Ephesians 1 is one long prayer of praise and thanksgiving. With my little understanding of Greek syntax this chapter looks like a whole lot of phrases sort of stapled together. The punctuation calls this about four very long sentences. It reminds me of extactic utterance. It reminds me of someone shouting out praise in a charismatic assembly. Paul is praising God by reviewing things he has done, in this case for the Ephesian people. The sense is excitement.
A translator into English has a problem of trying to link all these phrases into readable English. Again my understanding of Greek syntax may be lacking but in Greek all these phrases stand alone in ways that they could never do if literally translated into English. It would look like nonsense and my first translation certainly looks like nonsense.
Again there is extactic utterance in an unknown language, most likely praise of God that no one can understand. But there is also praise in one's own language. I prefer to use my own language until I run out extolling God and then remembering things he has done for me and my loved ones. I think of Paul doing a similar thing here, only in the written form.
This is praise and thanksgiving in prayer form. One commentator feels that the writer here understood that this letter would be initially read out loud to the congregation and wrote it with that in mind. This chapter certainly does do very well read out loud.
I was asked for class to translate Ephesians 1 from the Greek. Wow. This is what the prof calls our "first effort".
Ephesians 1 is one long prayer of praise and thanksgiving. With my little understanding of Greek syntax this chapter looks like a whole lot of phrases sort of stapled together. The punctuation calls this about four very long sentences. It reminds me of extactic utterance. It reminds me of someone shouting out praise in a charismatic assembly. Paul is praising God by reviewing things he has done, in this case for the Ephesian people. The sense is excitement.
A translator into English has a problem of trying to link all these phrases into readable English. Again my understanding of Greek syntax may be lacking but in Greek all these phrases stand alone in ways that they could never do if literally translated into English. It would look like nonsense and my first translation certainly looks like nonsense.
Again there is extactic utterance in an unknown language, most likely praise of God that no one can understand. But there is also praise in one's own language. I prefer to use my own language until I run out extolling God and then remembering things he has done for me and my loved ones. I think of Paul doing a similar thing here, only in the written form.
This is praise and thanksgiving in prayer form. One commentator feels that the writer here understood that this letter would be initially read out loud to the congregation and wrote it with that in mind. This chapter certainly does do very well read out loud.
Friday, February 18, 2011
2 Kings 3
Jehoram goes out to fight Moab. He asked Jehoshaphat, king of Judah to go with him. Jehoshaphat is known as one the most faithful kings of Judah, after David. Yet he allies himself with one he knows to be an idolator. Why? We really are never told.
Yet together they make a bad decision. Instead of taking the direct route over the Jordan River they take the long route around the Dead Sea and come at Moab from the south, through Edom. By going this way they enlist Edom into their alliance.
Yet by walking through the desert, finding on oases or not enough anyway they come to Moab exhausted and weak from thirst.
We are not told how Jehoshaphat feels about all this. We just hear that Jehoram is panicked. He is so panicked that he is willing to consult Jehoshaphat's God. He does not go to the priests of Baal, some of whom he likely has with him in his camp.
A servant knows Elisha is in the camp and these kings humble themselves to go to him and accept his hospitality, however humble. Elisha tells Jehoram bluntly that he would not even let the king of Israel see his face had it not been for Jehoshaphat, who he highly respects. He suggest he go to his own priests, thereby giving us to understand that there are priests of another god in his camp.
Why did Elisha follow this army? He obviously does in incognito. Neither king seems to know he is here. It seems God must have told him to go but we are never told how he came to be here.
By the very fact of their asking for advice are they helped. They do not directly ask for help, just advice.
Can we learn from this? When we find ourselves at wits end we should come to God for advice. In so doing we may just find our deliverance. God may give us wisdom or he may just give us a miracle as he does here.
Elisha predicts that the next morning water will appear. We do not know if it flows from somewhere else or springs up out of the ground. We know it does not come by wind or rain. This water refreshes them and their animals. It also fools the Moabites who advance in disarray and get slaughtered as a result.
Elisha also tells them how to punish Moab after they win the day. It seems that they do it.
Then something mysterious happens. The King of Moab, in desperation, sacrifices his first born son the crown prince on the wall of their city. How awful! Their god Chemosh is used to human sacrifice it seems. He is one of the gods that children were sacrificed to. Why this changes the situation I do not understand. The description is confusing here. Is it the superstition of the victorious army that causes the retreat? Or is it out of respect for the Moabite king who in such desperation sacrifices his son? Or is there some other reason.
Yet together they make a bad decision. Instead of taking the direct route over the Jordan River they take the long route around the Dead Sea and come at Moab from the south, through Edom. By going this way they enlist Edom into their alliance.
Yet by walking through the desert, finding on oases or not enough anyway they come to Moab exhausted and weak from thirst.
We are not told how Jehoshaphat feels about all this. We just hear that Jehoram is panicked. He is so panicked that he is willing to consult Jehoshaphat's God. He does not go to the priests of Baal, some of whom he likely has with him in his camp.
A servant knows Elisha is in the camp and these kings humble themselves to go to him and accept his hospitality, however humble. Elisha tells Jehoram bluntly that he would not even let the king of Israel see his face had it not been for Jehoshaphat, who he highly respects. He suggest he go to his own priests, thereby giving us to understand that there are priests of another god in his camp.
Why did Elisha follow this army? He obviously does in incognito. Neither king seems to know he is here. It seems God must have told him to go but we are never told how he came to be here.
By the very fact of their asking for advice are they helped. They do not directly ask for help, just advice.
Can we learn from this? When we find ourselves at wits end we should come to God for advice. In so doing we may just find our deliverance. God may give us wisdom or he may just give us a miracle as he does here.
Elisha predicts that the next morning water will appear. We do not know if it flows from somewhere else or springs up out of the ground. We know it does not come by wind or rain. This water refreshes them and their animals. It also fools the Moabites who advance in disarray and get slaughtered as a result.
Elisha also tells them how to punish Moab after they win the day. It seems that they do it.
Then something mysterious happens. The King of Moab, in desperation, sacrifices his first born son the crown prince on the wall of their city. How awful! Their god Chemosh is used to human sacrifice it seems. He is one of the gods that children were sacrificed to. Why this changes the situation I do not understand. The description is confusing here. Is it the superstition of the victorious army that causes the retreat? Or is it out of respect for the Moabite king who in such desperation sacrifices his son? Or is there some other reason.
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
2 Kings 1
King Ahaziah gets hurt and bedridden. He sends to the god of Ekron to get word whether he would live or die.
Elijah is prompted by an angel to intercept the messengers and tell them God says he will die because he did not consult his own God, Elohim, the God of Israel.
So God is saying his unfaithfulness was punished by death.
Deuteronomy promises that God will reward faithfulness with life and unfaithfulness with death. God does punish sin with death a lot in the Old Testament.
Does God still punish like this today? Since Jesus has saved us all from our sins, we all have the right to choose forgiveness is it different now?
Jesus comments that those killed by the falling Tower of Siloam and those killed by Herod while sacrificing were no more sinful than others. They did not die because of a special judgment of God.
I think we see things as having consequences. We can still be forgiven but consequences remain. A man who kills another can be forgiven but he must still pay society's price for his deed. If I become an alcoholic I can be forgiven and perhaps healed but the destruction to my body will still remain.
I don't think we can easily judge when God punishes sin in this world. We just cannot understand the mind of God. I can say in general God judges today but I can never be confident of specific instances.
Elijah is prompted by an angel to intercept the messengers and tell them God says he will die because he did not consult his own God, Elohim, the God of Israel.
So God is saying his unfaithfulness was punished by death.
Deuteronomy promises that God will reward faithfulness with life and unfaithfulness with death. God does punish sin with death a lot in the Old Testament.
Does God still punish like this today? Since Jesus has saved us all from our sins, we all have the right to choose forgiveness is it different now?
Jesus comments that those killed by the falling Tower of Siloam and those killed by Herod while sacrificing were no more sinful than others. They did not die because of a special judgment of God.
I think we see things as having consequences. We can still be forgiven but consequences remain. A man who kills another can be forgiven but he must still pay society's price for his deed. If I become an alcoholic I can be forgiven and perhaps healed but the destruction to my body will still remain.
I don't think we can easily judge when God punishes sin in this world. We just cannot understand the mind of God. I can say in general God judges today but I can never be confident of specific instances.
Monday, February 14, 2011
Outward Focused Church - Dave Workman
The concept of an outwardly focused church, I basically agree with it.
But it is easier to give up stuff, give away stuff than it is to tell people about Jesus.
Most people will take freebies without comment. But if you tell people about their need for a savior you are more likely to get a negative reaction, get rejected.
Workman spoke of a 75% rejection rate. I think it is probably higher. I don't think he really meant that as an exact number. He was just making a point.
It is good to get reconciled to that. It's easier to say, harder to do.
For example, as soon as I left church I went to get Subway sandwiches to take home. I went to the one at 2200 N. Main. Know that area? There was an old seemingly homeless man sitting in front but away from the windows so the employees cannot see him. He had a long white beard.
He asked my to buy him a small sandwich. I muttered something and told him no. Then I went inside and told the man on duty. There seemed to be only one employee. He said he would deal with it as it might discourage customers.
So I guess I immediately went out and failed. I keep thinking about the deserving poor, whatever that is. Sure I should remember pure grace and give.
But as I think back on it the underlying reason I said no was that I was unwilling to witness. I still think that all this giving with witnessing is dead.
I found it too hard to open my mouth and tell him about Jesus. I could have asked him if he had accepted Jesus as his savior. And if so quote him 2 Thes. 3:10 - "If anyone will not work, neither let him eat." Now I am being facetious here. I could not have done it without being angry.
Workman spoke about seeds. Jesus threw many seeds and without discrimination. I like that. But again it's easy to say it, hard to actually do it. I need to act more with that than I do.
Yet if I had spoken I would have been angry. I did not want to be angry. So I clammed up and went inside. Even if I had bought him food I would have been angry.
You can criticize me if you wish. I acknowledge that I was wrong. But will I do better the next time? Probably not. I am sorry, maybe not repentant.
He was still there when I came out. I nodded to him as I left and he said nothing.
But it is easier to give up stuff, give away stuff than it is to tell people about Jesus.
Most people will take freebies without comment. But if you tell people about their need for a savior you are more likely to get a negative reaction, get rejected.
Workman spoke of a 75% rejection rate. I think it is probably higher. I don't think he really meant that as an exact number. He was just making a point.
It is good to get reconciled to that. It's easier to say, harder to do.
For example, as soon as I left church I went to get Subway sandwiches to take home. I went to the one at 2200 N. Main. Know that area? There was an old seemingly homeless man sitting in front but away from the windows so the employees cannot see him. He had a long white beard.
He asked my to buy him a small sandwich. I muttered something and told him no. Then I went inside and told the man on duty. There seemed to be only one employee. He said he would deal with it as it might discourage customers.
So I guess I immediately went out and failed. I keep thinking about the deserving poor, whatever that is. Sure I should remember pure grace and give.
But as I think back on it the underlying reason I said no was that I was unwilling to witness. I still think that all this giving with witnessing is dead.
I found it too hard to open my mouth and tell him about Jesus. I could have asked him if he had accepted Jesus as his savior. And if so quote him 2 Thes. 3:10 - "If anyone will not work, neither let him eat." Now I am being facetious here. I could not have done it without being angry.
Workman spoke about seeds. Jesus threw many seeds and without discrimination. I like that. But again it's easy to say it, hard to actually do it. I need to act more with that than I do.
Yet if I had spoken I would have been angry. I did not want to be angry. So I clammed up and went inside. Even if I had bought him food I would have been angry.
You can criticize me if you wish. I acknowledge that I was wrong. But will I do better the next time? Probably not. I am sorry, maybe not repentant.
He was still there when I came out. I nodded to him as I left and he said nothing.
Monday, February 7, 2011
Brighton message
I gave a message at Brighton on February 6 for their protestant service run by some good friends.
I based it on 1 Thessalonians 4:1 and then talked some on what comes next in the chapter.
I thought I only had 10 minutes but NJ was feeling bad so I purposed to go longer. I lost track of time. I really did not know how long I went but when I looked down nd saw it was almost time for the service to be over I was surprised.
I was proud that I kept it simple. I think it was practical. I did not get too far off track. My professor would be proud I think that I did not use most of my research. There was a lot of background I learned that was not a part of the topic so I did not use it.
Basically the theme was God is proud of us and yet he wants (invites) us to do more and more. I meant the emphasis to be on the God is proud of us. It could have been better nuanced.
But then DW and SJ who were leading the service with me both gave responses that made me think they mostly heard the part about doing more and more. It's not that their takes were not valid. How can I control how God speaks to people? That is what I want and pray will happen, God will speak through me.
But I found it humorous that I think this is what Paul was speaking to here to the Thessalonians. Paul emphasizes that they are doing what he taught them. Yet he felt compelled to say it again. I think Paul saw they were being obedient as far as the understood what he said. But they had not understood the totality of the message. And this is important. So he is gently saying to people who love him and did not want to disappoint him, "do more and more". He is carefully saying to them, "look deeper, think carefully about what I am saying".
So the fact that my fellow servants got different takes on what I said seems funny to me. Not bad, maybe even better, not sure. But not what I meant. Paul is sure it is not better in his situation. So he makes his case again, especially about sexual behavior and not taking advantage of one another, again. He wants them to see it in a new light. He does not believe they are being consciously disobedient, they just have not gotten it yet.
I based it on 1 Thessalonians 4:1 and then talked some on what comes next in the chapter.
I thought I only had 10 minutes but NJ was feeling bad so I purposed to go longer. I lost track of time. I really did not know how long I went but when I looked down nd saw it was almost time for the service to be over I was surprised.
I was proud that I kept it simple. I think it was practical. I did not get too far off track. My professor would be proud I think that I did not use most of my research. There was a lot of background I learned that was not a part of the topic so I did not use it.
Basically the theme was God is proud of us and yet he wants (invites) us to do more and more. I meant the emphasis to be on the God is proud of us. It could have been better nuanced.
But then DW and SJ who were leading the service with me both gave responses that made me think they mostly heard the part about doing more and more. It's not that their takes were not valid. How can I control how God speaks to people? That is what I want and pray will happen, God will speak through me.
But I found it humorous that I think this is what Paul was speaking to here to the Thessalonians. Paul emphasizes that they are doing what he taught them. Yet he felt compelled to say it again. I think Paul saw they were being obedient as far as the understood what he said. But they had not understood the totality of the message. And this is important. So he is gently saying to people who love him and did not want to disappoint him, "do more and more". He is carefully saying to them, "look deeper, think carefully about what I am saying".
So the fact that my fellow servants got different takes on what I said seems funny to me. Not bad, maybe even better, not sure. But not what I meant. Paul is sure it is not better in his situation. So he makes his case again, especially about sexual behavior and not taking advantage of one another, again. He wants them to see it in a new light. He does not believe they are being consciously disobedient, they just have not gotten it yet.
1 Thess. 4:13-18
The now/not yet concept of Christian experience has been popularized by Gordon Fee but said before by many others. I most think about the now part of that dichotomy.
So did Paul in the first part of chapter four concentrating on our present conduct. Now he encourages them on the not yet, to soon to come (for all of us), our hope in God.
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
Jesus is coming back for us! We who have followed him, loved him back, accepted him as savior and Lord, we who remain until he comes back will be snuggled up together with him in the air.
We will be with the Lord.
He ends these thoughts with, "therefore comfort one another with these words".
The saints there had been losing members to death, the normal end of us all. They were wondering about loved ones who had died. Where were they now? Are the promises of God really true? What about me?
You will not be left out. You will not be disappointed. We do not know what will it will be like, but we know we will be with Jesus.
Hallelujah!
So did Paul in the first part of chapter four concentrating on our present conduct. Now he encourages them on the not yet, to soon to come (for all of us), our hope in God.
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
Jesus is coming back for us! We who have followed him, loved him back, accepted him as savior and Lord, we who remain until he comes back will be snuggled up together with him in the air.
We will be with the Lord.
He ends these thoughts with, "therefore comfort one another with these words".
The saints there had been losing members to death, the normal end of us all. They were wondering about loved ones who had died. Where were they now? Are the promises of God really true? What about me?
You will not be left out. You will not be disappointed. We do not know what will it will be like, but we know we will be with Jesus.
Hallelujah!
Friday, February 4, 2011
1 Thessalonians 4:1
1 Thessalonians 4:1-12 [1] Finally then, brethren, we request and exhort you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us instruction as to how you ought to walk and please God (just as you actually do walk), that you excel still more.
My commentator says these final comments address specific situations that are known to the readers as well as to Paul, but he does not want to name them.
In verse 6 Paul refers to "the matter" implying everyone knows to what he is referring. Paul mentions sexual immorality and then says "no man transgress and defraud his brother in the matter".
He begins this passage affirming that they already know (1) and already act (10) rightly and this is to their sanctification (8).
Greeks in the first century were sexually immoral as Paul put it. They would have probably just said they had fun. They would have said they were cosmopolitan and mature about such things, at least until they decided to be Christians and follow Paul. Paul is asking them to change their behavior. To act as Paul expects would put them in danger of ridicule from fellow Thessalonians. It's not that much different than today is it?
People today think sleeping with another should not mean anything serious. We should be cosmopolitan. We should not accept the Biblical morality of "Victorian" people. To insist that a young couple in love should not immediately move in together and try on marriage first is considered small minded, uncharitable. In fact most pastors these days rarely touch the subject. But Paul was outspoken and insisted that the disciples stop having sex, unless it was in marriage covenant.
Paul saying those things to the Thessalonians was just like it would be if a pastor spoke this from the pulpit. Many of the church today would think him out of step and would disregard his words. So pastors are reluctant because they are afraid of losing the respect of a sizable portion of their members. Paul has no such reluctance and it was just as much a problem in 1st century Greece and Macedonia as it is now. His converts were used to considering sex as a normal part of anyone's life. They would be liable to consider Paul out of step with modern culture and much to provincial. They might think his Jewish roots were showing.
So Paul spends several verses underscoring his point. And if his hearers take him seriously it might be hard to keep this rules without ridicule even censure.
Verse 6 refers to defrauding and seems to be about something specific. Is he still taking about sexual misconduct from another aspect? Or is this now about some kind of financial misdeed among the saints?
Paul begins and ends this paragraph by affirming that they are already doing this, he just urges them to do it better. So why say it at all if they are already doing it? First, the pressure from the culture is great and he wants them reassured they are on the right path and this is for their sanctification. Secondly we can never be complacent. We do fail or fall short at times despite our ever effort. This is no time to give up. As God shows us we must continue to do better, this will bring us closer to God and his joy.
My commentator says these final comments address specific situations that are known to the readers as well as to Paul, but he does not want to name them.
In verse 6 Paul refers to "the matter" implying everyone knows to what he is referring. Paul mentions sexual immorality and then says "no man transgress and defraud his brother in the matter".
He begins this passage affirming that they already know (1) and already act (10) rightly and this is to their sanctification (8).
Greeks in the first century were sexually immoral as Paul put it. They would have probably just said they had fun. They would have said they were cosmopolitan and mature about such things, at least until they decided to be Christians and follow Paul. Paul is asking them to change their behavior. To act as Paul expects would put them in danger of ridicule from fellow Thessalonians. It's not that much different than today is it?
People today think sleeping with another should not mean anything serious. We should be cosmopolitan. We should not accept the Biblical morality of "Victorian" people. To insist that a young couple in love should not immediately move in together and try on marriage first is considered small minded, uncharitable. In fact most pastors these days rarely touch the subject. But Paul was outspoken and insisted that the disciples stop having sex, unless it was in marriage covenant.
Paul saying those things to the Thessalonians was just like it would be if a pastor spoke this from the pulpit. Many of the church today would think him out of step and would disregard his words. So pastors are reluctant because they are afraid of losing the respect of a sizable portion of their members. Paul has no such reluctance and it was just as much a problem in 1st century Greece and Macedonia as it is now. His converts were used to considering sex as a normal part of anyone's life. They would be liable to consider Paul out of step with modern culture and much to provincial. They might think his Jewish roots were showing.
So Paul spends several verses underscoring his point. And if his hearers take him seriously it might be hard to keep this rules without ridicule even censure.
Verse 6 refers to defrauding and seems to be about something specific. Is he still taking about sexual misconduct from another aspect? Or is this now about some kind of financial misdeed among the saints?
Paul begins and ends this paragraph by affirming that they are already doing this, he just urges them to do it better. So why say it at all if they are already doing it? First, the pressure from the culture is great and he wants them reassured they are on the right path and this is for their sanctification. Secondly we can never be complacent. We do fail or fall short at times despite our ever effort. This is no time to give up. As God shows us we must continue to do better, this will bring us closer to God and his joy.
Thursday, February 3, 2011
God the concert conductor
1 Thessalonians 2:17-3:5 [17]But we, brethren, having been taken away from you for a short while--in person, not in spirit--were all the more eager with great desire to see your face. [18]For we wanted to come to you--I, Paul, more than once--and yet Satan hindered us. [19]For who is our hope or joy or crown of exultation? Is it not even you, in the presence of our Lord Jesus at His coming? [20]For you are our glory and joy. [1] Therefore when we could endure it no longer, we thought it best to be left behind at Athens alone, [2]and we sent Timothy, our brother and God's fellow worker in the gospel of Christ, to strengthen and encourage you as to your faith, [3]so that no one would be disturbed by these afflictions; for you yourselves know that we have been destined for this. [4]For indeed when we were with you, we kept telling you in advance that we were going to suffer affliction; and so it came to pass, as you know. [5]For this reason, when I could endure it no longer, I also sent to find out about your faith, for fear that the tempter might have tempted you, and our labor would be in vain. NASB
Paul speaks of Satan hindering him. We were reading just Thursday in Acts about similar hindrances. In Acts 20 we read that Paul changed his travel plans because of the Jews. They were Satan's agents to hinder him. But he took advantage of it to do good elsewhere.
Does Satan ever hinder you? I am tempted to think when someone bad happens that it is my fault. I get angry at myself. Not everything is a spiritual act by the enemy of all good but I need to be willing to give myself more grace.
We need to not give up and sulk when things do not go as we planned. We can take Paul as our example. When we find a block against something we wish to do we need to find out where God has opened another door for us to serve.
Sometimes it is good to persevere and wait. But often circumstances can be God telling us he has different plans.
In a recent sermon DR said God does not treat us like puppets on a string. No he is more like a concert conductor. He puts all the musicians' efforts together to make wonderful music together. Each has his own part.
By Satan blocking Paul's way into Syria God used it to encourage and get the Good News of Jesus' salvation to more people in Macedonia. God used it for good.
Paul speaks of Satan hindering him. We were reading just Thursday in Acts about similar hindrances. In Acts 20 we read that Paul changed his travel plans because of the Jews. They were Satan's agents to hinder him. But he took advantage of it to do good elsewhere.
Does Satan ever hinder you? I am tempted to think when someone bad happens that it is my fault. I get angry at myself. Not everything is a spiritual act by the enemy of all good but I need to be willing to give myself more grace.
We need to not give up and sulk when things do not go as we planned. We can take Paul as our example. When we find a block against something we wish to do we need to find out where God has opened another door for us to serve.
Sometimes it is good to persevere and wait. But often circumstances can be God telling us he has different plans.
In a recent sermon DR said God does not treat us like puppets on a string. No he is more like a concert conductor. He puts all the musicians' efforts together to make wonderful music together. Each has his own part.
By Satan blocking Paul's way into Syria God used it to encourage and get the Good News of Jesus' salvation to more people in Macedonia. God used it for good.
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Finishing strong
I think a lot about finishing strong. I have no particular scripture today. But Paul did think about it too.
He spoke to Timothy about his passing and his passing the torch to Timothy. Timothy was probably Paul's chosen successor. It seems he groomed him for the role. But most of the time we do not get to pick out successor. Timothy was never a major character in the church we don't think.
When Paul spoke of finishing strong and running the race to the finish he was modeling proper disciple behavior to the churches where he was apostle. I'm sure it was true, he really was feeling that. But he wrote it as much for their benefit as for his own.
I am having senior moments. Saturday I tried to go to a party but left without enough information to find where it was. I did some assuming and turned out to be wrong. After I got back home I find I passed right by it. The whole thing is so embarrassing.
At my age you do the math, you realize you have lived more time than you have left. I will not make it to 120.
Still I feel great, had a good workout, I think I can live forever. I do not have a Paul like thorn in the flesh to remind me I am mortal. But things like the Saturday debacle make me serious. However I can get back into denial soon enough.
I got to cheer on the marathoners Sunday. It was great. I felt good about being supportive. I am often not so supportive like that. But it was great to cheer then on, first at mile 5 at 8 AM then later at mile 24 at 11 PM until the track closed at 1 PM. I saw some of the same people twice. It was good to see fellow church members and at least one old buddy from the past.
I also volunteered for water duty at the national half marathon championship held Saturday on part of the same track. That was different. We could not hand them anything. We just set up their water bottles, all neatly marked, on tables. They were told what table to look for their bottles and they came by to get them if they wished. Most did not. The weather was great for the run. This was the top 80 half-marathons by seeding so everyone was bunch up. They all came by within ten minutes of each other, then it was over. First the men, then the women. A few women outpaced some of the slower men but it was pretty much two waves, then it was done.
I got to talk to an old friend who is a serious runner. She knew the names of all these people. Then she went off to do a quick seven miler. heh
He spoke to Timothy about his passing and his passing the torch to Timothy. Timothy was probably Paul's chosen successor. It seems he groomed him for the role. But most of the time we do not get to pick out successor. Timothy was never a major character in the church we don't think.
When Paul spoke of finishing strong and running the race to the finish he was modeling proper disciple behavior to the churches where he was apostle. I'm sure it was true, he really was feeling that. But he wrote it as much for their benefit as for his own.
I am having senior moments. Saturday I tried to go to a party but left without enough information to find where it was. I did some assuming and turned out to be wrong. After I got back home I find I passed right by it. The whole thing is so embarrassing.
At my age you do the math, you realize you have lived more time than you have left. I will not make it to 120.
Still I feel great, had a good workout, I think I can live forever. I do not have a Paul like thorn in the flesh to remind me I am mortal. But things like the Saturday debacle make me serious. However I can get back into denial soon enough.
I got to cheer on the marathoners Sunday. It was great. I felt good about being supportive. I am often not so supportive like that. But it was great to cheer then on, first at mile 5 at 8 AM then later at mile 24 at 11 PM until the track closed at 1 PM. I saw some of the same people twice. It was good to see fellow church members and at least one old buddy from the past.
I also volunteered for water duty at the national half marathon championship held Saturday on part of the same track. That was different. We could not hand them anything. We just set up their water bottles, all neatly marked, on tables. They were told what table to look for their bottles and they came by to get them if they wished. Most did not. The weather was great for the run. This was the top 80 half-marathons by seeding so everyone was bunch up. They all came by within ten minutes of each other, then it was over. First the men, then the women. A few women outpaced some of the slower men but it was pretty much two waves, then it was done.
I got to talk to an old friend who is a serious runner. She knew the names of all these people. Then she went off to do a quick seven miler. heh
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