The Crowd
Last week I was in a convention center several times and had a chance to watch a large group of teenagers interact with each other before each session. I’ve been a part of such crowds in the past and have even set up the flashing lights and sound equipment that was to be used. Since that time I have heard a lot of things about rock music and the affect that it has on people. I am not boycotting the music entirely but for the moment I’ve stepped back a lot as I explore for myself whether these claims are true. One statement that I have found particularly interesting comes from Matthew Murray, who killed several Christians as a form of revenge in late 2007. This quote is from an e-mail that is attributed to him (abbreviated by WND; full e-mail here):
I have a powerful addiction to a powerful drug that most people in my life don't know about. ... I have found this drug to truly be a force to be reckoned with. This drug can completely alter blood pressure, heart rate, brainwave patterns and other bodily functions. ... This drug will completely control a person's mind, what thought's (sic) they think and their emotions and how they feel. I found that this drug has the power to completely alter a person's religious beliefs, their morality, and their values and their entire lifestyle. ⦠I found this drug to be a powerful driving force and easy gateway into a world of sex, other drugs, rebellion, homosexuality, alcoholism and many other dark things. ... The drug ... is commonly known in our culture as ... Rock Music.
This is a sobering thought and I do not wish to be mastered by anything (I Corinthians 6:12). Because of this, I simply watched as things unfolded in the convention center. Several of the students ran around to give high-fives to whoever paid them any attention or in an effort to start “the wave.” It is strangely ironic in our culture, that has taught a rugged individualism, would raise kids who would be a part of this. Even when you get into Christian circles, it is very popular to preach “all I need is me, my Bible and the Holy Spirit.” This happens despite commands like the ones found in Deuteronomy 6:7 or Matthew 28:19,20 which indicate our beliefs are also passed on from individual to individual. As social creatures we are redundant. We spend a lot of time and energy to teach what we know to others and that doesn’t stop the next person from analyzing everything for himself. It only saves him the time of discovering (by himself) every nuance of how the world works. Life is short. Anyway, even though as people we do have a group mentality, there is (or has been) a strong teaching toward individuality in our American culture. Somehow crowds overcome this and it is even expected that everyone participate. Toss a beach ball out over a crowd and watch what happens. They’ll hit it back and forth and I would almost bet that it will never touch the floor. Everyone is expected to be paying attention to what the group is doing. Then the shouting matches started. Some of the people who were running around to give high fives started one side of the room with “We love Jesus, yes we do. We love Jesus, how ‘bout you?” The other side repeated it, trying to get louder, then it was the first side’s turn again. What in the world? Why would I want to shout at someone asking if they love Jesus after they have just yelled at me that they do? What possible purpose is there to this? Are we that lost for things to do? There were other things that happened too. What do you think? Are crowds a human game board to be played? Even more importantly, is Jesus a cheer leader who has to pump us up or is there something more to our faith? My heart still has to be kindled by God’s Holy Spirit but it is more than emotion. I pray yours is as well.
Creating Secure Passwords
With how easily passwords are being broken, many companies have policies requiring “strong” passwords. By this, they mean that they want upper case letters, lower case letters, numbers and punctuation. How is anyone supposed to remember such a creation? It’s easy, honest. I’ve gotten elementary teachers addicted to creating new passwords. (Scary, no?) Here, try a couple examples. Think of a song that you like. I’m going to choose “I Know Whom I Have Believed” by Daniel Whittle (the music was by James McGranahan, just in case you are wondering). Every vowel (except ‘u’ and ‘y’, which aren’t in this title) can be replaced by a number:
1 Kn0w Wh0m 1 H4v3 B3l13v3d
Now if we replace the spaces with, say, the @ symbol:
1@Kn0w@Wh0m@1@H4v3@B3l13v3d
I dare someone to guess that password. Now let’s pretend that we have a friend who lives at 1234 SW Hampton St. with a zip code of 98765. How hard would it be to convert the zip to alphabetical letters?:
1234 SW Hampton St. gBTGs [98765]
Take the initials from the street name and make the zip code lower-case:
1234 SW H S gbtgs
Now remove the spaces and add an exclamation point to the end:
1234SWHSgbtgs!
It looks horrible but really isn’t too hard to remember. What you do from here is up to you. You can use book titles, a friend’s phone number, the address of the white house or even the names of songs you hate. Be creative. Then be careful not to type in these passwords at the wrong website. Verify the URL in the address bar first. Just in case you are wondering, neither of these is a password I actually use. I’m a bibliophile so there are over three hundred book titles in my room for you to choose from just to get started. That ignores any movie titles, song names, vacation spots I’ve been to, etc. Then you would have to guess what punctuation I use. To make it even harder, sometimes I only change every other vowel into a number. Or capitalize letters at certain places in the words. You get the idea, you’ll be typing for the next 5 years just to guess one of my passwords. Now go have some fun with making your own.
Family Ties
Jeffrey wanting to be baptized by his father… missions family.
The Demonic
It has been several years since I have had any desire to watch shows that talk about ghosts or any other supernatural “phenomena” – as least in the direction that our society is obsessed with now. It is much, much easier to study the other side. By this, I mean who God is and what His power extends over (hint: everything). Last night I got into a discussion with several others about the demonic. Ouija boards, water witching (AKA divining rods), tarot cards, etc. None of them is “safe.” Milton Bradley/Parker Brothers, who own the patent on Ouija boards, say this about the game:
Ouija, the boardgame that summons the para-normal.
“Summons”? Interesting word choice, no? As the conversation progressed, several stories came out about dealings with demons prior to the salvation of some in their families. Because of this there were beliefs that a crucifix could keep a demon from entering a door or that certain “blessed” objects could repel demons or at least alert you to their presence. There are several problems with this. First, demons are from the spirit world so why would they be bound to physical entry points like doors? Second, even if they could, Jesus and his disciples did not use such items to cast out demons. Third, how is it that Satan could influence the crucifixion of Jesus if a cross repelled him? Even before Jesus’ death he had told his disciples to “take up [their] cross daily” in Luke 9:23. I’m sorry to burst everyone’s bubbles, but these items are not worth using. It may be that the faith of the person putting up these symbols is enough but the symbols themselves do not stop demons. Exorcists make use of these symbols extensively. Some just hold a Bible against someone, others use “holy water” or the form of a crucifix. My personal thoughts on this are that such attempts are shams. And maybe the demon plays with the person a little. Have you read about the seven sons of Sceva? Acts 19:13-18:
Then certain of the vagabond Jews, exorcists, took upon them to call over them which had evil spirits the name of the Lord Jesus, saying, We adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preacheth. And there were seven sons of one Sceva, a Jew, and chief of the priests, which did so. And the evil spirit answered and said, Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are ye? And the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, and overcame them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded. And this was known to all the Jews and Greeks also dwelling at Ephesus; and fear fell on them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified. And many that believed came, and confessed, and shewed their deeds.
Not all of the exorcists had this happen to them. Some demons are stronger than others. In the words of Jesus (Mark 9:29):
[...] This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting.
Do you think that the form of a crucifix would change this need for prayer and fasting? Jesus slipped off regularly to pray for the upcoming days and weeks. My own thoughts, again, are that Jesus had known this was coming and was already praying for it. The reasons are lengthy enough for their own blog post so if anybody wants, I can write it up. If a crucifix cannot keep demons at bay, should we worry then? Certainly not, or, at least not if you have placed your trust in Jesus. If you are God’s, your body is His also. I Corinthians 6:19:
What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?
And our God is a jealous god. He does not share His glory. Another interesting thing to note from the passage in Acts is that the demon said it knew Jesus and Paul, both. If you go back to the book of Job in the Old Testament, Satan knew who Job was. Job 1:9-11:
Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, Doth Job fear God for nought? Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land. But put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy face.
This is from one of the oldest books in the Bible! If you really want supernatural protection, fear God, seek Him and give Him the glory. Forget these slipshod attempts to control what we cannot. It is only as sons and daughters of God, purchased by Christ’s blood, that we have any authority.
Teen Pregnancy
A proof designed to show what happened?
Doomed to Worry Others...
This week I’m at the beach with a youth group but it is something of a working vacation. A customer had some emergency problems with his website today so when everyone went swimming I hung back for an hour to find a solution to the problem. A short while later I found the problem, created a temporary work-around (until time will afford a better fix – like after this is published) and headed out after everyone. I didn’t see the group swimming and decided to hunt for them to the south. Most of them would not want to walk more than half a mile but by the time that I had walked that far, the southern tip of the island beckoned. And I listened. I found out later that by the time I got back (it had been only an hour) that they had gone inside. Without knowing that, I walked even farther in the other direction. Google Maps says that the total distance (round trip) was about seven miles. The walk was nice, apart from all the rather skimpy swimwear. Is it even possible to wear less for undergarments? Bikinis were created in 1946 to shock the world. In only 62 years the islands that they were named after have faded into obscurity and the pieces of cloth have become the norm. This is both sad and annoying for those who do try to guard their eyes and hearts. Leonard Ravenhill has asked how people can really think that God’s spirit, which indwells believers (I Corinthians 6:19), will go with them to the pool when it is written that God cannot look on sin (Habakkuk 1:13) and we aren’t to desire another man’s wife (Exodus 20:17). Interesting question of his. In any event, I did take the opportunity to pray while walking. I pity many of the kids for what clothing their moms are teaching them to wear. It was more than enough to remind me of my conversation with a woman on Saturday who honestly did not think there were any men left on earth who would wait until they were married before fulfilling all of their desires. There is much that people need to be reminded of. Thanks to my wanderings, everyone got back almost two hours before I did. Yes, that is twice as bad as the MO trip (for those of you who remember it). They were worried so we calmed them all down. The theories expected the worst – such as a kidnapping by the maids – but thankfully nobody thought that they were seeing an apparition (this might be because I wasn’t walking on the water). The only bad side effect is that my shins and feet are sunburnt. My neck, back and shoulders are fine thanks to the other walks that I take. For the record, I do not plan such hikes to worry people. Honest.
Isaiah 59:21: ... that the righteous is taken away from the evil to come.
For the last few months I have come to feel a bit safe in the little cocoon world that I live in. Some areas of life have settled into a rut, and some others have not. The topics of study have been shifting slowly and overall I have just been enjoying life.
With the coming of summer, some of that has been upset. In the past three weeks, several people that I know have lost relatives. My pastor’s nephew, former neighbors, the grandmother of a friend and, just yesterday, the sister of another friend. Last week a local ten year old boy was killed by two pit bulls that belonged to his friend’s parents. Reading over this makes it sound more trivial than it is and there are several items that I am not naming.
After listening to some of my friends talk today about who they have seen die in just the last two days, there are cousins, grandparents and friends of friends who have been named. Lots of people are in need of prayer, and this is only for those who have seen death.
Some of this is to be expected. The Baby Boomers are known for their, er, increasing age and disregard (in many ways) for their health.
But the young people! And the infants! And those who have tried to watch their health!
It is so common, almost cliché, to ask how there can be a God when there is so much wrong and pain in this world. Indeed, it would be cliché if that wasn’t the cry of so many hurting hearts.
The reason is not as soft as most people would like. We live in a fallen world. Not only do our own mistakes add to these matters but so do the sins of everyone else who has ever lived. Can we really expect to live as we want and not have consequences for those choices?
We like to be independent. I like to be. And yet our lives are inextricably tied to those of everyone else. The people who have gone before us have paved the roads to where we are now. Those who live around us make decisions that we will have to face for the rest of our lives and, together, we are forging the roads that those who come after us must walk.
Before pointing fingers at our forefathers, consider what road you and I are creating. This is the road that I worry about the most. It is the only one that I have any control (at all!) over.
Isaiah 57:1 struck me the other day while I was reading it:
The righteous perisheth, and no man layeth it to heart: and merciful men are taken away, none considering that the righteous is taken away from the evil to come.
As long as we are in this world, we will not be able to hide from death. It surrounds us but not every death is random. There is a master purpose behind everything and the one who creates it knows the path that human history is taking.
It has been said that Jesus was born to die. In a sense, so are we all. Hebrews 9:27:
And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:
Even though we die, it is the life by which we are remembered. Michael Jackson also died today. I fear for where he is. Because of the lives of some of these others, I am sure that I will meet them when the final trumpet is sounded. This is the “blessed hope” of all who follow Christ. I Corinthians 15:52:
In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
Even Job, whose story is one of the oldest in the Bible, knew that there would be a resurrection to eternal life or eternal death. Job 19:25-27:
For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth: And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God: Whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another; though my reins be consumed within me.
It is to this – judgment and the sight of Almighty God – that the dead have passed on to. What lies ahead for us who are still alive? I’m afraid that only time will tell. May we be found faithful in all things.
I look forward to that great day when we have eternity before us. John’s Revelation 21:4:
And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.
One day the current order will be broken. Sin will lose its allure and we will not have to face its consequences any longer. We will not need mercy to shield us from what is to come. Until that day comes for you, take heart. There is yet work to be done and you are privileged to have it set before you. God’s grace is sufficient.
Changes in Beliefs
It is funny, and a little scary, how much our views change over the years. Sometimes they are even required even though we had been trying to make sure that our beliefs were accurate.
One of the recent changes in my understanding of the Bible was first researched several years ago. While reading through the Bible, the genealogies seemed long and monotonous. In order to make more sense of all the names, I created a simple genealogy program and started to enter names and ages into it.
One of the problems that I ran into with this concerned the genealogies of Joseph, the husband of Mary, who was the mother of Jesus. The genealogies given in Matthew 1 are very different from the lineage given in Luke 3.
At the time I had done some poking around and research to figure out why that was. Somehow my sources managed to convince me that Luke traced Mary’s ancestry, while Matthew was more concerned with arguing to the Jews and traced Joseph’s.
Last night I ended up looking at these passages again and I just could not see how that argument could work out. Here are the two passages that make the view impossible in my mind (emphasis mine):
Matthew 1:16: And Jacob begat Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ.
Luke 3:23: And Jesus himself began to be about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph, which was the son of Heli,
Both passages are clearly talking about Joseph. How I was convinced otherwise, I have no idea. It seems that I let myself get distracted. This difference appears to pose quite a problem at first so I did some more digging.
The solution that I view as most probable is mildly complex and very intriguing. It was proposed by a man that is known as Julius Africanus who had, it seems, lived in Emmaus for some portion of his life. You might recall how Jesus traveled with several disciples who were walking there on the day of His resurrection. Many speculate that Africanus was even born in that town. He wrote this explanation for the differences between Matthew 1 and Luke 3 roughly 200 years after Jesus lived:
- Both genealogies are those of Joseph.
- That Joseph was the son of Jacob or of Heli, either by adoption, or because Jacob and Heli were either own brothers or half-brothers; so that,–
- On the death of one of the brothers, without issue, the surviving brother married his widow, who became the mother of Joseph by this marriage; so that Joseph was reckoned the son of Jacob and the son of Heli.
- Joseph and Mary were of the same lineage, but the Hebrews did not reckon descent from the side of the woman. For them St. Luke’s genealogy is the sufficient register of Christ’s royal descent and official claim. St. Luke gives his personal pedigree, ascending to Adam, and identifying Him with the whole human race.
If this is what happened, it is neat. Say that Joseph’s grandmother married and had a son. Her first husband died and she remarried. There was another son by that marriage.
As time passed on, one of those sons married but died without leaving his wife a son to carry on the family name. The Jewish law then commanded that the man’s brother marry her and raise up a son to bear his brother’s name (Deuteronomy 25:5,6).
Yes, I know. I’ve heard women say “My brother-in-law is alright, but he’d better not touch me.” There is a reason for this close view of family that we have strayed away from in our western world. Anyhow, back to the original point.
If only one son came out of that marriage – namely, Joseph – he would be heir of both sides of the family.
This is definitely more plausible than the teaching from 1502 that Luke traced Mary’s genealogy. The text of Luke it too explicit to hold to that belief.
Another example of a change in beliefs would concern the now-popular view that Jesus is going to return and claim His church before the tribulation period spoken of in Daniel and John’s Revelation.
During my senior year in high school I had written a paper examining the “pre-,” “mid-,” and “post-” tribulation rapture ideas. I had been taught pre-tribulation for most of my life and it was the doctrinal position of the church that I was attending at the time. In that paper I wrote that there were good arguments for all three but that I would hold to the pre-tribulation view.
My intent has since changed. There is a very informative book called The Incredible Cover Up (Dave MacPherson) that traces the origins of these separate views.
After extensive traveling and pouring through books, letters and notes, he found that the earliest reference to a split in Christ’s return (once for his church, then again later in judgment) came from a vision/prophesy in 1830 by a woman named Margaret MacDonald. This was picked up by Darby, who was visiting that night, and developed into an entire branch of theology.
The funny thing is that on the same night, Miss MacDonald also prophesied that one of the socialist leaders of their day in Great Britain was the Anti-Christ. If you judge by the Left Behind series (which I’ve read) or Hal Lindsey’s The Late Great Planet Earth or any other similar source, when the Anti-Christ appears the world only has seven years left. By all accounts, Margaret MacDonald prophesied wrongly. And the Bible does not teach a split return of Christ on its own – anybody who has studied what Darby and Scofield propagated can tell you that. So what happens? For now I’m forced to fall back to what is said in Deuteronomy 18:22:
When a prophet speaketh in the name of the LORD, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which the LORD hath not spoken, but the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously: thou shalt not be afraid of him.
Or, in this case, her.
It is humbling to find that I’ve messed up such things after examining them in the past. This is also useful as a reminder to keep my eyes on the one that all wisdom comes from. Proverbs 9:10:
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.
I pray that you seek wisdom and understanding also.
Is This Proof I Can Not Cook?
In order to prove once and for all that I can cook, I decided to sacrifice the remaining blueberries that I had left to make muffins. The recipe was stolen from the family that sent them. Here’s what it was originally:
3 cups flour 1 tbsp baking powder 1/2 tsp baking soda 1/2 tsp salt 10 tbsp butter soft 1 cup sugar 2 large eggs 1 1/2 cup plain yogurt 1 1/2 cups blueberries 1 tbsp flour (if using defrosted frozen blueberries)
Defrost and rinse berries. Dust lightly with flour. Mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in one bowl. In other bowl mix butter, sugar, and eggs. Beat in one half of dry material into the bowl of wet mixture. Beat in one third of yogurt. Add half of rest of dry stuff. Add second third of yogurt. Put in rest of dry and then remaining yogurt. Only beat ’til just mixed. Fold berries.
Bake at 375* for 20-25 minutes. Makes 30 muffins.
Well. Here’s what I actually made:
- 3 cups flour
- 3/4 cup wheat bran
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 stick butter, still refrigerated
- 1/8 cup sugar
- 1 egg
- 2 cups plain yogurt
- 3/4 cup frozen blueberries
Mix all ingredients, except the blueberries, by hand (is there another way? Incidentally, this is when I discovered my water had been turned off. It might be a good idea to pay that bill). This can be used to avoid dirtying another dish for softening/melting the butter. Dump the blueberries on top and fold them in. Divvy them up whatever way you like.
Cook at 375 degrees for about 20 minutes or until lightly browned on top.
All mixed, here’s what the mess looked like:
It was left out of the original recipe but I believe that the ratios are supposed to be around 1/3rd cup of the mix for each muffin. I blatantly ignored that rule, proving that I know nothing of kitchen etiquette:
OK, so I do have one muffin form. Just not everything fit in it. Here are the muffins:
The verdict? I might have browned them a little too much as the outside is a bit stiffer than the middle. And they aren’t quite as good as the cranberry/bran bread that I made a couple days ago (didn’t follow that recipe either). But they are pretty good.
Does the inability to follow directions mean I can’t cook?
The Wave -- Something Worth Watching?
When the idea of moving pictures was first introduced, there was an excitement because it was possible to show more depth to things that the audience would not have seen for themselves. Somehow, since that time, televisions have become boxes that tell us what to think. Instead of giving us more information so that we can learn, we are being told one side and that we must believe it. Today we hear that there is going to be a primetime special called “Prescription For America” that will be aired by ABC News. It’s going to be a one-sided broadcast pushing Americans to accept nationalized health care. There are some people who take a look at this and decide that anything on television is not worth watching. While I understand the frustration in finding something worth seeing, I can not bring myself to reject it completely. If I did that, would I not have to reject all other technology that is being abused also? For me to reject television entirely, I would have to become Amish or Mennonite. Since I do not have all of the time in the world, it seems wise to pay attention to what others have watched and found to be worth their time. There are movie rating services that report on how family-friendly a movie is without giving away the plot (ex: Crosswalk has one). This helps for when you want to take people to see a movie in theaters. Anyhow, tonight I watched a movie that a friend recommended a couple weeks ago. It is called “The Wave” and was produced in 1981 for television. The movie runs about 45 minutes long and recounts (or is based on) a social experiment that took place in a high school class in California during the late 1960s. Here is a link to the video. I’ll recommend that you watch it too:
http://video.google.com/googleplayer.swf?docid=4689717947890475769&hl=en&fs=true
What do you think? Is it worth the time to watch it? Are all movies mindless or have some producers managed to hold to the original purpose of film?
A Tale of Three Kings; A book review
Someone lent me A Tale of Three Kings by Gene Edwards this afternoon and I have literally read it in two hours. The intent of the author is to bring healing to those who have been hurt by men in authority. He pulls this off by teaching about humility, which is probably not the answer that most people expect. Mr. Edwards’ chosen medium is a fictional work surrounding the lives of King Saul, King David, and David’s son, Absalom. The book exaggerates the characters of those three men which makes a little room to disagree with what is said. After reading the entire book, there are are only two small issues that I have with what is written. And they are minor. Those two are only problems because he states rules as absolutes even though they have been broken in the past. For there to only be two minor issues with this impresses me considerably, especially with the topic that he is addressing. The author does understand leadership well:
"Rules were invented by elders, so they could get to bed early! Men who harp on authority only prove they have none. And kings who make speeches about submission only betray twin fears in their hearts: They are not certain they are really true leaders, sent of God. _And_ they live in mortal fear of a rebellion."
Or this, concerning Absolom:
"He is both sincere and ambitious. A contradiction, perhaps, but true, nonetheless. He probably means some of what he says. But his ambition will continue long after he discovers his inability to do the things he promises. Righting the wrongs always becomes secondary to ascent to power."
It is funny how quickly the portrayal of Absalom can conjure up images of people in politics today. Mr. Edwards does warn against setting yourselves against such people based on your own limited knowledge. Again, I’m very impressed. I’ll be recommending A Tale of Three Kings to others who want (or need) to understand authority better.
Arminianism
God as micro-manager or God as just?
Kingdom Business; A book review
Several months ago my pastor lent me a book called Kingdom Business by David Befus. The author is affiliated with Latin America Missions and his intent is to explain how we can make ministries self-sustaining as they help others. His work has specifically centered around creating micro-finance programs to help individuals start businesses and improve their own lives. The idea of causing a ministry to support itself is a shocking one to many people. I understand the reason that many outreach programs are funded solely by donations. It might just be my own stubborn pride but I can not find it in myself to work this way. That may be the reason that this book was lent to me in the first place. From Kingdom Business:
In the last 50 years the church [has become] ... almost exclusively focused on a model that assumes the need for donations to finance ministry. The church in North America has taught this model to the rest of the world, and the formula of depending on donations is accepted everywhere. But the perception that ministry requires offerings creates great limitations for ministry. This is especially true in countries where donations are scarce.
That is true even in the United States, which has traditionally been a generous nation in many ways. The individuals are slowly learning to hide behind tax-dollar supported “relief.” People now give you strange looks when you tell them that you don’t want government money. There is good reason to encourage these efforts to stand on their own feet as they help others:
Social development projects, it is said, "have no memory," as they are funded by grants and not required to demonstrate viability. Economic development projects do have a memory, and the problems with funded projects cannot be hidden simply by redefining accounts receivables on paper.
Sometimes the consequences go much farther than you would expect:
It sometimes also happens that church people do not act with integrity, and this is quickly discovered in a business environment. To identify the problem may be of benefit to the life and Christian walk of that person, but to confront it may be difficult or destructive in the church environment.
When somebody is simply volunteering, you can take it or leave it. When they are working for a business that pulls its own weight, you can expect more.
Kingdom Business covers a lot of basic business principles that larger corporations use. This is an attempt to be a small primer on business activities. The balance that it aims for is a tough one, with a focus on ministry while operating as a business.
An interesting aspect of the process of institutional development is that the people who are involved in the initial start-up are not able, in many cases, to manage the project as it grows. As the project grows, ... there may be the need to recruit new people, even from outside the church circle of contacts, resulting in lower levels of control in exchange for higher levels of professionalism. ... [This is similar,] in some ways, to parents who begin to let their children go as they mature.
This idea is very present in the business world and is the reason for so many company sales and mergers. Quite often the direction of the business has to change and grow with it. Those who began the project do not know how to deal with the necessary changes. The problem, particularly in ministry, is that this results in “mission creep.” Nevertheless, Mr. Befus has these things to say:
The institutionalization of the program is important as a basis for serving others, not for serving the institution and its employees.
It is better for the program to stay small and maintain its objective than to grow into something different than it was created to be.
Even though he did not state his reasons clearly, I suspect that one of the biggest reasons for incorporating is the same one that caused the creation of companies as separate legal entities in the first place. It offers legal protection and allows for ideas to span multiple, successive, leaders. But if the purpose is going to shift very far, especially when ministries are involved, it is better not to let it go. The book closes with some very good ideas for how to involve the Good News of the Gospel into our everyday interactions with new entrepreneurs. The life and parables of Jesus show a knowledge of business (especially of what can be seen by one who directs others):
**Agriculture:** Modern textbooks on agriculture production present four basic outcomes of seed germination that are similar, in many ways, to the four cases that Jesus presents in a talk recorded in the Gospel records. If the outcomes of Matthew 13:3-8 are considered, we have (1) insufficient soil preparation for seed to take root, (2) inadequate depth of soil for seedling to mature, (3) competitive growth of other organic production preventing proper growth, and (4) adequate conditions for satisfactory production.
In the “modern” world we have gotten away from working with our hands. This is often to our detriment, while to the rest of the world the depth of Jesus’ knowledge is fantastic.
Kingdom Business has made some good points that I still need to consider further. The “free market” does have its pitfalls. One of those is that with distribution working primarily through certain well-defined routes, it can be hard for new suppliers to work a way in. Sometimes that complicates matters even with local distribution. In my opinion, there were a few parts that could have been written better but it was, overall, a good primer. It should not be used as a definitive source but then the author tells you to learn from the locals about how business activity works anyway. Even though half of the book is about lending money to others, I think it is a good starting place when you are interested in a self-sustaining ministry.
As a Know-It-All
On a visit to Europe several years ago, those who I traveled with were peeking through the windows of the bus at the country around us. There was a man walking beside the road and a dog a short ways ahead of him. In the United States, you would probably see the dog and owner attached by a leash. I commented that the dogs in Europe were more likely to be trained to obey their owners. The guy sitting next to me and I shared a hotel room that week. He later said that because of that one statement he had immediately labeled me as a know-it-all. He gradually changed his mind. The reason? I had lived in Europe before that and, even though we were in a new country, many of the attitudes of the people around us were the same as in the countries I had visited. There were still a lot of things to learn on that trip. Even if I had lived there my entire life, there would be aspects of the culture that would be unknown to me. I’m still learning about my own culture and how it is changing. It seems that this tendency to make comments is still getting me into trouble. In my defense, I try to follow the news, read about diverse subjects, and understand this world we live in. When a subject comes up that I am unfamiliar with, I try to remain quiet or ask questions to probe deeper into it. There are a lot of people who do not know what they think or believe and I tend to be opinionated. What is more natural than trying to help them out? Or showing them that there is another side to the issue being discussed? None of the precautions stop me from making a fool of myself at times – even on subjects that I know well. When somebody first asked about SATA drives (Serial ATA), I asked why they would want to run ATA commands over a 9-pin serial connection. They’re slow. It turnes out SATA does not use a 9-pin serial connection and is quite a bit faster than the old ATA connections (now called PATA). Here’s the funny thing about being an “authority” on a matter. When others need to learn something, they come to you and alert you to the fact that there is something new. Several years ago I worked for a computer repair shop. The senior tech knew a lot more than I did and often read PC Magazine or watched (what was then) TechTV. These are sources that attempt to make the technical simple and he knew a lot of the things he was reading already. He was looking for the bits that he didn’t know. Did this keep him ahead of everyone? Nope. One day I had a question that needed his advice and he was in the front talking to a customer. Rather, it would be better to say that the customer was talking to him. As I walked out, I heard the customer ask my coworker a question about some new hardware that was coming out and then he proceeded to talk about all the things he had read for nearly five minutes. I watched, amused, as my coworker barely said a word. After the exchange, I asked, “You didn’t know anything about it, did you? Just get people to come tell you.” He smiled. So if I can play you into thinking that I’m knowledgeable, don’t be afraid to ask questions. It helps me out too. Otherwise I have to read about it. Not that I mind reading, of course.
Isaiah 49:16: Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; ...
This morning I was lamenting how easily I forget or neglect to pray for people.
When you pray specifically for others, and their needs, it begins to make sense why Jesus prayed for hours at a time. Even two or three hours is not enough to cover everyone who needs prayer. But they need it. Jesus prayed specifically that his disciples might stand. Luke 22:31,32:
And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.
After his mighty travails on earth, he was made to be a high priest so that he could intercede on our behalf. Hebrews 5:5-7:
So also Christ glorified not himself to be made an high priest; but he that said unto him, Thou art my Son, to day have I begotten thee. As he saith also in another place, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec. Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared;
In all of his prayers, including his agony over the cross, Jesus was respectful in his dialog to the Father and feared Him.
Let’s digress for a quick moment. Why would Jesus have reason to fear his Father? I John 3:5:
And ye know that he [Jesus] was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin.
Jesus never sinned. Paul wrote that because of this he was made to be sin for us (II Corinthians 5:21). If Jesus never did wrong, why should he fear God? On that final night, Jesus used “Abba” while praying (Mark 14:36). That is similar to saying “Daddy,” and is quite a model. I’ll leave you to think through how both fear and adoration fit together.
To return to the original purpose for this post, as I lamented my inability to remember everyone who needs prayer, Isaiah 49:16 came to mind. Let’s quote verses 14 and 15 also:
But Zion said, The LORD hath forsaken me, and my Lord hath forgotten me. Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee. Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me.
Zion is the heritage of the church. We are never forgotten. Our names are always before our God, and Jesus (who is one with Him) is our priest and intercessor. God takes up the slack in our weakness. Let us serve Him joyfully.
Geek stuff: Disable right-click on website images
One of my customers wanted to prevent people from right-clicking on images on their website. That brought back memories of websites on GeoCities a decade ago. There are still so many ways around it that the attempt is almost useless. My favorite way was always to view the page source. It is also possible to disable JavaScript, use a website debugging plugin, or save the (complete) page to a directory on your harddrive. In the past, the popular method to stop image theft has been to make a JavaScript Alert() box pop up when the user right-clicked on a picture. This quickly makes the website look less professional. With Web 2.0 being so popular, there are better ways now to hide the context menu. Luke Breuer has a tutorial on how to replace the browser’s default with your own. After looking at his code, it looks like the code required to silently prevent right-clicking on images is surprisingly simple:
<script language="JavaScript" type="text/javascript">
function ContextHide(event) {
if (event == null)
event = window.event;
var target = (event.target != null) ? event.target : event.srcElement;
if (target.tagName.toLowerCase() == 'img')
return false;
}
document.body.oncontextmenu = ContextHide;
</script>
Note that I intentionally did not include any comments. Go read up on what all of this does. It works on Firefox 3, Internet Exploder 7, Safari 4 (Public Beta), and Google Chrome 2. It does not seem to work with Opera, even after enabling the ability for scripts to see right-click events (non-default setting). Enjoy.
A Sign for the Times
My dad forwarded this commentary and picture:
If you are unfortunate enough to have an anti-Constitution liberal living next door, I suggest you enlarge and print this sign and put it on your doors, lamp post or wherever it can be seen by the bad guys. Check for the arrow direction so as not to endanger a fellow conservative because it is anticipated that the poor anti-Constitution neighbor will have his own problems!
The loss of a few liberals is a sacrifice we all should be willing to make in respect to their opinion The liberal will never believe the bad guy’s bullet is actually killing him, so the result of the sign is really humane.
I think it’s great. I really don’t want to carry a gun all the time, but I also do not want somebody knowing whether I have one on me right now or not. Criminals are a whole lot more cautious when you can even the odds.
Mailcall and Amusing People
The last few weeks have been busy and the amount of time required for computer work has been very high. I spent about 20 hours on the computer Thursday and the weekend followed the same pattern.
After getting a full night of sleep last night, I needed to head to the bank to deposit a couple checks. It was a good excuse to walk and enjoy the sun, instead of being locked indoors. It was a little warm but the walk was great – only about three miles each direction and the route takes me by the Post Office.
Now, I hadn’t checked my mailbox in about a week and a half because it’s pretty easy to predict what mail is coming when. Today was a surprise as there was a yellow card in the slot which indicated that a package was waiting. Somebody had done a pretty good job wrapping the box in brown paper, but I waited until I got back home before opening it.
The walk back was definitely amusing. It was toward the end of the lunch hour for most people and I walked past a table on the sidewalk where two people were sitting. One of them asked the other, “So, do you eat jalapeños? Like, …”
The woman who asked the man sitting across from her that question had a nice southern accent, but I didn’t need to tell you that it was a guy and a girl, did I? Those six words, funnily, say a lot about why they were sitting at that table.
About three-quarters of a mile further, three teenagers were trying to jump a 4-foot fence. They were dressed in typical inner-city gang style, complete with do-rags. Two of them managed to jump it and ended up half-way across the street before coming to a stop. As the last guy was trying to figure out how to get over the fence, one of them told him “It’s easy, fool.”
It was so hard not to laugh. These guys, who wanted so desperately to be “bad,” couldn’t even jump a fence.
Anyway, I got home and opened up the box. On the very top was a picture:
This probably deserves some explanation. Because of how much time I spend on the computer, I do try to balance my food to protect my eyes. Quite often this means an emphasis on antioxidants or, occasionally, searching for beta carotene. It turns out that beets are very good for this and the family that the package came from insists that they are horse food.
But that’s alright. Under the picture was a bag of partially-fermented blueberries. Blueberries are also a great antioxidant, and I’m sure that they were not fermented when they were mailed.
Thanks for the blueberries. I’ll be sure to cook them so that you don’t have to worry about contributing to drunkenness or anything like that. I will definitely enjoy them.
Three days? Can Christians Count?
There is a lot of debate in some circles over when Jesus was crucified. I don’t mean over the year, though there is that debate too. This one is sparked by Jesus’ words in Matthew 12:40:
For as Jonas [Jonah] was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.
The day that Jesus was resurrected is not, to my knowledge, in dispute. Mark 16:9 says very clearly:
Now when Jesus was risen early the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had cast seven devils.
The general understanding is that the Jewish people worship on Saturday because it was “the seventh day” referenced in their law (Exodus 20:8-11). This makes the resurrection day of Sunday to be pretty well established and this is the reason that the discussion goes the opposite direction. People wonder what day Jesus was crucified on. Earlier this year, before Easter, I had spent some time trying to explain that Christians were not necessarily wrong to count Jesus’ death as being on Friday. An entirely different set of people has brought the issue up this week, so I’m going to attempt to summarize why I think Friday is correct. Jesus was taken down from the cross before the Sabbath. This is verified in John 19:31 (see also Mark 15:42 and Luke 23:54):
The Jews therefore, because it was the preparation, that the bodies should not remain upon the cross on the sabbath day, (for that sabbath day was an high day,) besought Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away.
Jesus ate Passover with his disciples (Luke 22:15) as the Jewish day begins at dusk. The rest of the Jews were still preparing for and observing the Passover. John 19:14,15:
And it was the preparation of the passover, and about the sixth hour: and he saith unto the Jews, Behold your King! But they cried out, Away with him, away with him, crucify him. Pilate saith unto them, Shall I crucify your King? The chief priests answered, We have no king but Cæsar.
It’s slightly possible that I’m misunderstanding Passover tradition but I don’t believe so. I’ve made this point to others before, including Jews, and have not been corrected despite asking specifically. The symbology is fantastic that Christ was crucified on the day that the Jews remembered God passing them over in his judgment! In any case, the day after Passover was considered a Sabbath according to Numbers 28:16-18. Some people use this extra Sabbath to “prove” that Thursday or Friday was also regarded as a Sabbath that week. I’ll get to this a little further on. Jesus was taken off the cross the same day that he was crucified. See John 19:42 (also verse 31, above):
There laid they Jesus therefore because of the Jews' preparation day; for the sepulchre was nigh at hand.
It appears that the Sabbath (15th day of of the first month in the Hebrew calendar) fell on Saturday that particular year. Luke records that the women rested one day, as commanded, and then returned on the first day of the week (Sunday). Luke 23:54-24:2:
And that day was the preparation, and the sabbath drew on. And the women also, which came with him from Galilee, followed after, and beheld the sepulchre, and how his body was laid. And they returned, and prepared spices and ointments; and rested the sabbath day according to the commandment.
Now upon the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came unto the sepulchre, bringing the spices which they had prepared, and certain others with them. And they found the stone rolled away from the sepulchre.
The definite article is used. Only one Sabbath passed between Jesus being buried and his resurrection, which was definitely on Sunday. He was buried the same day that he was crucified. This only leaves one option, and that is that he was crucified on Friday. This means that the question of whether Christians can count is a good one. At most, 36 hours could have passed between when Jesus was buried and when the sun broke the sky and Jesus walked out of the grave. I had to do some digging around to satisfy my own questions on this matter a while back. It turns out that there is a good explanation. The Jewish people have traditionally held that a part of a day counts as the whole. Here is what John Lightfoot, a rabbinical scholar from the 1600’s had to say based on his research of Hebrew culture:
[The Son of man shall be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.] 1. The Jewish writers extend that memorable station of the unmoving sun at Joshua's prayer to six-and-thirty hours; for so Kimchi upon that place: "According to more exact interpretation, the sun and moon stood still for six-and-thirty hours: for when the fight was on the eve of the sabbath, Joshua feared lest the Israelites might break the sabbath: therefore he spread abroad his hands, that the sun might stand still on the sixth day, according to the measure of the day of the sabbath, and the moon, according to the measure of the night of the sabbath, and of the going-out of the sabbath; which amounts to six-and-thirty hours."
II. If you number the hours that passed from our Saviour's giving up the ghost upon the cross to his resurrection, you shall find almost the same number of hours; and yet that space is called by him "three days and three nights," when as two nights only came between, and only one complete day. Nevertheless, while he speaks these words, he is not without the consent both of the Jewish schools, and their computation. Weigh well that which is disputed in the tract Schabbath, concerning the uncleanness of a woman for three days; where many things are discussed by the Gemarists concerning the computation of this space of three days. Among other things these words occur; "R. Ismael saith, Sometimes it contains four Onoth sometimes five, sometimes six. But how much is the space of an Onah? R. Jochanan saith either a day or a night." And so also the Jerusalem Talmud; "R. Akiba fixed a day for an Onah, and a night for an Onah: but the tradition is, that R. Eliezar Ben Azariah said, A day and a night make an Onah, and a part of an Onah is as the whole." And a little after, R. Ismael computeth a part of the Onah for the whole.
It is not easy to translate the word Onah into good Latin: for to some it is the same with the half of a natural day; to some it is all one with a whole natural day. According to the first sense we may observe, from the words of R. Ismael, that sometimes four Onoth, or halves of a natural day, may be accounted for three days: and that they also are so numbered that one part or the other of those halves may be accounted for a whole. Compare the latter sense with the words of our Saviour, which are now before us: "A day and a night (saith the tradition) make an Onah, and a part of an Onah is as the whole." Therefore Christ may truly be said to have been in his grave three Onoth, or three natural days (when yet the greatest part of the first day was wanting, and the night altogether, and the greatest part by far of the third day also), the consent of the schools and dialect of the nation agreeing thereunto. For, "the least part of the Onah concluded the whole." So that according to this idiom, that diminutive part of the third day upon which Christ arose may be computed for the whole day, and the night following it.
There are other places in the Bible where this is demonstrated also, especially in what we call the Old Testament (which was all that the Jewish people had). Here is Rehoboam, Solomon’s son in II Chronicles 10:5,12:
5 And he said unto them, Come again unto me after three days. And the people departed.
12 So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam on the third day, as the king bade, saying, Come again to me on the third day.
In a way, we even use the same language in our own culture. If you read the command about remembering the Sabbath day to keep it holy because on it God rested from creating the world, you would interpret it that you should rest for a full 24 hours. If somebody worked for only one hour of that time, has he “kept the sabbath day”? The answer is “no.” By working even a short amount of time on that day, you are considered guilty of breaking the observance of the day. I think that, rather than this being an inaccuracy (or the innability to count), that it is a sign of the culture behind what we are reading. It is an anomaly of translation which I, personally, find fascinating.
Don't Vote on an Empty Stomach
Saw this restaurant billboard on a Dubai news station that was reporting on the business ramp-up in Beirut for the elections (this image was stolen from beirutntsc.blogspot.com):
So, um, yeah! Don’t vote on an empty stomach. All the things that the politicians are promising will sound good until you get into the checkout line and see the bill.