I know, my last post promised a blog every Friday. I forgot. But here it is a few days late. And for the first time, this blog has little to do with spirituality. As many of you know I am a movie freak. I have a movie pod cast on itunes called filminfocus that I co-host with Jason Spencer, so check it out, its free. Also, I post movie reviews on a website flixster.com, username sanjurosamurai. I’ve seen most major films released in 2008, and I wanted to recommend my top 10.
1) Changeling
2) The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
3) The Dark Knight
4) Burn After Reading
5) Kung Fu Panda
6) Gran Torino
7) Vicky Christina Barcelona
8) Defiance
9) Revolutionary Road
10) Doubt
Keep in mind, some of these are rated R, but there is some great commentary in these films on the human condition and important philosophical themes – well – except Kung Fu Panda that’s here just because its fun.
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Friday, January 30, 2009
Im Back!
Hey everyone! I’m back. I know I know, it’s been like 3 months since I’ve blogged. But here’s the thing, I have decided to rededicate myself to blogging by keeping myself on a very strict schedule. From now on, at a minimum, I will be posting something new (and hopefully interesting) each and every Friday. I could do more through the week, but Friday will be the standard day for the blogs.
This time, I’m back with purpose. I’m helping Harvey answer some of the questions that were texted in during the service last weekend. Here are some of your questions and my answers.
Q: Does the tree of life, as well as the tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, maybe refer to an analogy of some sort?
A: First I have to be sure that I understand the question. If you are asking if the tree’s are not actual but analogous in nature – then the easy answer is no. The trees are real, and we know that because the text gives us no reason to believe otherwise. Many have said that these trees sound mythological so they must be, but the Great Wall of China doesn’t sound realistic either and we all know that it exists. Come on, a wall that big that can be seen from space, I don’t believe it!
If you believe that the trees are real but are asking if they double as analogous to something else – Maybe, but that’s surely not the point of the trees. They are actual trees that serve an actual purpose in the designed plan of God, and their purpose is very clear in Scripture.
Let’s look at another one.
Q: If man has a sense of God in them, then doesn’t that contradict total depravity?
A: I’m not sure how it would. By “sense” I assume you’re referring to the image of God in man. The image is broken by the fact that we are born totally depraved, but the image is not removed completely. Keep in mind, there is a difference between “total depravity” and “utter depravity”. We are born totally depraved in that we are not righteous on our own because of sin and we need God’s righteousness (Romans chapter 3). But we are not born utterly depraved, which is the idea that man can do nothing good. We do things that are good as an extension of being made in God’s image even thought the image is broken.
Next question.
Q: Adam and Eve’s kids have to have sex with each other to multiply the population?
A: Yes. It is repulsive today to marry siblings, but God did not make a law against it until the time of Moses. The issue of deformities of the children would have been a non issue because the reason that some children of sibling parents have deformities is because those siblings have the same genetic defects that they received from their parents, and the defects then become magnified and passed on. This early in the line of this family genetic defect would not be an issue because Adam and Eve didn’t have any. It takes many generations for defects to gain potency.
It is impure today to have such incest – but since there were no moral, legal, or genetic problems in the days of Adam and Eve, and since this was the only option, this has to be what happened.
This time, I’m back with purpose. I’m helping Harvey answer some of the questions that were texted in during the service last weekend. Here are some of your questions and my answers.
Q: Does the tree of life, as well as the tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, maybe refer to an analogy of some sort?
A: First I have to be sure that I understand the question. If you are asking if the tree’s are not actual but analogous in nature – then the easy answer is no. The trees are real, and we know that because the text gives us no reason to believe otherwise. Many have said that these trees sound mythological so they must be, but the Great Wall of China doesn’t sound realistic either and we all know that it exists. Come on, a wall that big that can be seen from space, I don’t believe it!
If you believe that the trees are real but are asking if they double as analogous to something else – Maybe, but that’s surely not the point of the trees. They are actual trees that serve an actual purpose in the designed plan of God, and their purpose is very clear in Scripture.
Let’s look at another one.
Q: If man has a sense of God in them, then doesn’t that contradict total depravity?
A: I’m not sure how it would. By “sense” I assume you’re referring to the image of God in man. The image is broken by the fact that we are born totally depraved, but the image is not removed completely. Keep in mind, there is a difference between “total depravity” and “utter depravity”. We are born totally depraved in that we are not righteous on our own because of sin and we need God’s righteousness (Romans chapter 3). But we are not born utterly depraved, which is the idea that man can do nothing good. We do things that are good as an extension of being made in God’s image even thought the image is broken.
Next question.
Q: Adam and Eve’s kids have to have sex with each other to multiply the population?
A: Yes. It is repulsive today to marry siblings, but God did not make a law against it until the time of Moses. The issue of deformities of the children would have been a non issue because the reason that some children of sibling parents have deformities is because those siblings have the same genetic defects that they received from their parents, and the defects then become magnified and passed on. This early in the line of this family genetic defect would not be an issue because Adam and Eve didn’t have any. It takes many generations for defects to gain potency.
It is impure today to have such incest – but since there were no moral, legal, or genetic problems in the days of Adam and Eve, and since this was the only option, this has to be what happened.
Thursday, October 2, 2008
Peter and Paul
If Peter is the “rock” upon which the church is built, why is it that Paul wrote most of the New Testament?
I guess this is sort of an odd question because it assumes that the writing of the New Testament is the role of the person on whom the church is built. Peter did write sections of the New Testament, but it’s true that Paul wrote more than Peter, as did John and Luke. In actuality, I don’t believe Paul wrote most of the New Testament. The other books make up more writing than Paul’s works, and although Paul wrote more letters I believe Luke’s writings take up more actual space despite the fact that he only wrote two books.
But I digress. Paul was simply in a better place to write the things that were necessary for the New Testament by virtue of the fact that he was the traveler of the two and did more missionary work. Paul’s letters covered a lot of ground. Peter being a foundation for the church had nothing to do with literature; it had to do with his actions as recorded in the first twelve chapters of the book of Acts. Peter was the preacher at Pentecost in Acts 2, which is the moment that most people believe the church itself was born. Peter then went on to lead the early church as other leaders were brought up in the faith.
I guess this is sort of an odd question because it assumes that the writing of the New Testament is the role of the person on whom the church is built. Peter did write sections of the New Testament, but it’s true that Paul wrote more than Peter, as did John and Luke. In actuality, I don’t believe Paul wrote most of the New Testament. The other books make up more writing than Paul’s works, and although Paul wrote more letters I believe Luke’s writings take up more actual space despite the fact that he only wrote two books.
But I digress. Paul was simply in a better place to write the things that were necessary for the New Testament by virtue of the fact that he was the traveler of the two and did more missionary work. Paul’s letters covered a lot of ground. Peter being a foundation for the church had nothing to do with literature; it had to do with his actions as recorded in the first twelve chapters of the book of Acts. Peter was the preacher at Pentecost in Acts 2, which is the moment that most people believe the church itself was born. Peter then went on to lead the early church as other leaders were brought up in the faith.
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
When you lose someone
Here is the beginning of question answering time. If you asked a question at the Q&A a while back, check in with this blog and Harvey’s blog for answers to your questions.
Q – Why does God take the people you love away from you? Is he punishing you?
A – This is an interesting question because it is only asked in cultures like the United States where we are fairly consumed by individualism. The question is focused on the self, when in reality God taking a loved one away from you has more to do with that loved one than it does you. We often think of our circumstances from a fairly selfish perspective when life actually isn’t about us.
There is an instance in Scripture where loved ones were taken from a man and that man was center stage. Job had his entire family taken away from him and the testing of his faith was the issue at hand. But for the most part, when a person is taken away from you (I’m assuming you’re referring to death), then you need to realize it has nothing to do with you and everything to do with God. God does everything for his glory, and the timing of people’s deaths fall in line with God seeking glory for himself.
When you lose someone you love you can’t take it personally. God’s plans include you but are not limited to you; he is doing things so big we could never comprehend them.
Q – Why does God take the people you love away from you? Is he punishing you?
A – This is an interesting question because it is only asked in cultures like the United States where we are fairly consumed by individualism. The question is focused on the self, when in reality God taking a loved one away from you has more to do with that loved one than it does you. We often think of our circumstances from a fairly selfish perspective when life actually isn’t about us.
There is an instance in Scripture where loved ones were taken from a man and that man was center stage. Job had his entire family taken away from him and the testing of his faith was the issue at hand. But for the most part, when a person is taken away from you (I’m assuming you’re referring to death), then you need to realize it has nothing to do with you and everything to do with God. God does everything for his glory, and the timing of people’s deaths fall in line with God seeking glory for himself.
When you lose someone you love you can’t take it personally. God’s plans include you but are not limited to you; he is doing things so big we could never comprehend them.
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
New blog flurry coming soon
Wow, have I been horrible about my blogs lately or what. As I did once before, I am going to re-energize this blog with a flurry of blogs. I have tons of questions to answer from the Q&A we had at Stones recently. However, it must wait until I get home from vacation in one week. Next week expect a new blog almost everyday for a while.
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Bland Rice
Lately, I have spent a considerable amount of time pouring into the Old Testament. I am loving it. In the spring I took the Pentateuch class at the Bible College, and since then I have been studying post exilic books like Ezra, Nehemiah, Haggai, and Zechariah. This was much of the basis of my solitude that I wrote about in my last post.
I am writing about it because I feel that I would be remiss if I did not spend time encouraging more people to study the Old Testament. Many people find the Old Testament to be like fried rice. Some restaurants that serve fried rice serve a delectable and moist treat with meat, eggs, vegetables, and even seafood in the rice. Some fried rice is bland and uninteresting. The best fried rice is among the best food ever, I get excited thinking about it. But when fried rice is bad, it’s uneatable.
The Old Testament however, is less hit or miss than people think. When people have a hard time being intrigued by the Old Testament it’s usually because they are too lazy to put the time in to find out what it is really saying – like people who don’t like fried rice because they are too lazy to find the restaurants that prepare it the best. I don’t care if you have to buy commentaries, create Old Testament study groups, or take classes at the Bible College; you have to pour into this spiritual goodness. The best part is – it is only through an understanding of the Old Testament that one can truly understand the New Testament and Christ himself. Without a balanced view into the whole Scripture, your picture will always be incomplete.
I am writing about it because I feel that I would be remiss if I did not spend time encouraging more people to study the Old Testament. Many people find the Old Testament to be like fried rice. Some restaurants that serve fried rice serve a delectable and moist treat with meat, eggs, vegetables, and even seafood in the rice. Some fried rice is bland and uninteresting. The best fried rice is among the best food ever, I get excited thinking about it. But when fried rice is bad, it’s uneatable.
The Old Testament however, is less hit or miss than people think. When people have a hard time being intrigued by the Old Testament it’s usually because they are too lazy to put the time in to find out what it is really saying – like people who don’t like fried rice because they are too lazy to find the restaurants that prepare it the best. I don’t care if you have to buy commentaries, create Old Testament study groups, or take classes at the Bible College; you have to pour into this spiritual goodness. The best part is – it is only through an understanding of the Old Testament that one can truly understand the New Testament and Christ himself. Without a balanced view into the whole Scripture, your picture will always be incomplete.
Friday, July 25, 2008
Solitude
Three friends of mine and I just got back from a four day trip to the middle of nowhere. We drove out Monday morning and came home last night, spending our time camping, resting in the joy of the Lord, and reading the Scriptures. On this trip, we slept on hard ground, went to the bathroom outside behind rocks and under trees, never bathed and rarely changed our clothes. Sounds awful and un-relaxing right?
While I came home with a soar back and greasy hair, I also came home rejuvenated for the next season of ministry. I came home with a new and channeled insight into the Word of God, and I think a more sanctified heart and mind. On this trip, my friends and I studied the book of Nehemiah, as well as the often debated theme of mission and evangelism in the Old Testament. Our findings were profound, but that is a topic for another post.
Solitude is a must for any Christian. The reason why we haven’t learned to connect with Yahweh or study our Bible properly is because we seldom (if ever) get alone with God and seek his face on the Scripture. I don’t mean an hour in your quiet time, I mean for hours in a day or series of days. While on our trip, we studied the word of God for 7-8 hours a day for four strait days. It was invigorating.
God showed me some amazing things on this trip. Not just about Scripture, but about creation and about my own sin. I got real with God and he got real with me, he spoke to me. Plan time to get away to be with the Savior, even if its not in the middle of nowhere like where we went, just get away. Be intentional about your time with God, and he will be intentional with you. This week was another of the many moments where God touched me in a special way and changed my life.
Thank you Father.
While I came home with a soar back and greasy hair, I also came home rejuvenated for the next season of ministry. I came home with a new and channeled insight into the Word of God, and I think a more sanctified heart and mind. On this trip, my friends and I studied the book of Nehemiah, as well as the often debated theme of mission and evangelism in the Old Testament. Our findings were profound, but that is a topic for another post.
Solitude is a must for any Christian. The reason why we haven’t learned to connect with Yahweh or study our Bible properly is because we seldom (if ever) get alone with God and seek his face on the Scripture. I don’t mean an hour in your quiet time, I mean for hours in a day or series of days. While on our trip, we studied the word of God for 7-8 hours a day for four strait days. It was invigorating.
God showed me some amazing things on this trip. Not just about Scripture, but about creation and about my own sin. I got real with God and he got real with me, he spoke to me. Plan time to get away to be with the Savior, even if its not in the middle of nowhere like where we went, just get away. Be intentional about your time with God, and he will be intentional with you. This week was another of the many moments where God touched me in a special way and changed my life.
Thank you Father.
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