OK, so "a few days" turned into a week and a half! I've not blogged these past days as I was out of town for 3, didn't retrieve the computer from the computer doc for a couple more after that, and then had a very busy and full week of outdoor fall chores, indoor cleaning, baking and cooking. Just was too busy right away in the mornings and too exhausted in the evenings to even attempt blogging.
Our family is finally all back together in the nest, as Mark and Ramsey were gone for a week duck hunting in North Dakota. They left the day I was returning from the Women of Faith conference in St. Paul. God's mercy and grace abounded while we were apart -- He took care of us and we all returned home safely. The guys had a blast (literally and figuratively) on their hunting trip and came home with tales of the thousands of ducks and geese abounding in the area they were hunting. I came home lifted by the message at the conference of "Irrepressible Hope". I will write more about that in coming blogs but let it suffice for now to say that when our hope is placed in God it is irrepressible.
Sunday, October 31, 2004
Wednesday, October 20, 2004
WE ARE EXPERIENCING TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES...
This will be my last blog for a few days, as my computer seems to have been affected by Spyware or virus or some such thing. I am going to take it in to our internet provider/computer doc today to be cleaned up. I imagine it will be a couple/few days before it is ready to be picked up. But this is good timing as I am going out of town Friday morning with a group of women from church to attend the Women of Faith conference in St. Paul, MN. I will get back some time on Sunday afternoon. I have gone to this conference a couple times before and it is really what I need right now. Great speakers, music and worship with thousands of Christian women in a stadium...long lines for the restrooms...quality time with my sisters in Christ while driving and staying at the hotel...silliness until the middle of the night. I will come back simultaneously refreshed and exhausted...and with plenty to blog about! Tune in next week...
Tuesday, October 19, 2004
THIS OLD TENT
Saturday, our family attended the Barry McGuire concert held in a nearby town as a fund-raiser for a Christian school that just opened. Some of you may remember Barry in the 1960s as the lead singer for the New Christy Minstrels, as the lead male role in Broadway's original production of "Hair" and his number one hit "The Eve of Destruction". After increasing frustration and searching for the truth, Barry's life took a new turn when he met Jesus Christ in the early 70s and he began a career in Christian music and mission work, which he continues today.
Barry was a profound influence in my Christian walk when in 1975, as a 15 year old, I was given the album "To The Bride" which Barry recorded that year with two Christian groups of artists, The Second Chapter of Acts and A Band Called David. The Holy Spirit used the words of Barry's stories and songs on that album teach me and draw me closer to the Father. After almost 30 years, I was still able to sing those songs along with Barry at the concert Saturday night.
How cool it was to be able to share with my children this man and his ministry that had been so foundational in my life as a young believer! Barry has such an open and engaging way of presenting the Word of God; I could see my kids were impacted just as I had been. With laughter, honesty, music and humility, Barry McGuire tells his story, the story of how the Saviour reached him in the midst of a life of sin and death; and washed him clean by the blood of the Lamb.
I loved how he explained to the audience of moms, dads, grandparents, big kids, little kids and babies, that our bodies are just a temporary home for our spirits...like a tent. Barry said, "When you look in the mirror, what do you see? The front end of your tent!" Someday, when Jesus calls us home, we'll leave this earthly tent that sags and leaks and flaps in the wind; and be clothed with our heavenly dwelling...a perfect, glorious spiritual body! (2 Cor. 5:1-5) So until then, here I am in this old tent -- patching it up, sweeping it out and re-staking the ropes to hold it against the wind. But the really cool part is God's Spirit is camping with me!
Barry was a profound influence in my Christian walk when in 1975, as a 15 year old, I was given the album "To The Bride" which Barry recorded that year with two Christian groups of artists, The Second Chapter of Acts and A Band Called David. The Holy Spirit used the words of Barry's stories and songs on that album teach me and draw me closer to the Father. After almost 30 years, I was still able to sing those songs along with Barry at the concert Saturday night.
How cool it was to be able to share with my children this man and his ministry that had been so foundational in my life as a young believer! Barry has such an open and engaging way of presenting the Word of God; I could see my kids were impacted just as I had been. With laughter, honesty, music and humility, Barry McGuire tells his story, the story of how the Saviour reached him in the midst of a life of sin and death; and washed him clean by the blood of the Lamb.
I loved how he explained to the audience of moms, dads, grandparents, big kids, little kids and babies, that our bodies are just a temporary home for our spirits...like a tent. Barry said, "When you look in the mirror, what do you see? The front end of your tent!" Someday, when Jesus calls us home, we'll leave this earthly tent that sags and leaks and flaps in the wind; and be clothed with our heavenly dwelling...a perfect, glorious spiritual body! (2 Cor. 5:1-5) So until then, here I am in this old tent -- patching it up, sweeping it out and re-staking the ropes to hold it against the wind. But the really cool part is God's Spirit is camping with me!
Monday, October 18, 2004
WHAT DID I COME DOWN HERE FOR?
"For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace." 1Cor. 14:33
I hate when I go all the way downstairs and have no idea why I am there. Surely I went down there to do something or fetch something, but I can't remember what it was. I have to go back upstairs and retrace my steps through the house until it dawns on me what my errand was. Even though I can benefit from the exercise, I get frustrated with my confusion; I have a lot to get done in a day and this is not an efficient use of my time.
I have a lot on my mind...too much, it seems. I can't remember things, I am always scrambling at the last minute, my thinking process becomes murky and I don't always make the best decisions. When confusion reigns, peace suffers. The above verse tells me that this is not God's will for us. I have a pretty good idea who the author of disorder and strife is. I have heard it said that Satan does not always have to tempt us to cause us to sin; he can just keep us too busy. When I am stressed, overwhelmed and tired, it is much easier for me to dishonor God with my attitudes, words and actions.
My friend, Cheri, in dealing with her mother-in-law's estate, is overwhelmed with "stuff". Always one to strive for a simpler lifestyle, Cheri is really committed to downsizing and is encouraging the rest of us to do likewise. Less material clutter to deal with will certainly lessen disorder in our lives. I believe downsizing our schedule, calendar and commitments is also essential for peace. It is so easy to get over involved because there are so many good things to be involved in. I need to prayerfully discern which activities are God's will for me and my family, guarding against overload.
Making time to clear our minds is another guard against overload. I find when my day is crowded with responsibilities and activities my devotional time is the first thing to suffer. Though it is the desire of my heart to make quiet time with God a priority, the clammer of the day's schedule makes it a struggle. I want to honor God by having an orderly home. I need to daily pray for wisdom and discernment regarding what things are priorities and what things I need to eliminate. Taking a break to relax and refresh my mind in the midst of the busyness of my day is a priority. Having a clear, calm mind will help me bring order to chaos.
I hate when I go all the way downstairs and have no idea why I am there. Surely I went down there to do something or fetch something, but I can't remember what it was. I have to go back upstairs and retrace my steps through the house until it dawns on me what my errand was. Even though I can benefit from the exercise, I get frustrated with my confusion; I have a lot to get done in a day and this is not an efficient use of my time.
I have a lot on my mind...too much, it seems. I can't remember things, I am always scrambling at the last minute, my thinking process becomes murky and I don't always make the best decisions. When confusion reigns, peace suffers. The above verse tells me that this is not God's will for us. I have a pretty good idea who the author of disorder and strife is. I have heard it said that Satan does not always have to tempt us to cause us to sin; he can just keep us too busy. When I am stressed, overwhelmed and tired, it is much easier for me to dishonor God with my attitudes, words and actions.
My friend, Cheri, in dealing with her mother-in-law's estate, is overwhelmed with "stuff". Always one to strive for a simpler lifestyle, Cheri is really committed to downsizing and is encouraging the rest of us to do likewise. Less material clutter to deal with will certainly lessen disorder in our lives. I believe downsizing our schedule, calendar and commitments is also essential for peace. It is so easy to get over involved because there are so many good things to be involved in. I need to prayerfully discern which activities are God's will for me and my family, guarding against overload.
Making time to clear our minds is another guard against overload. I find when my day is crowded with responsibilities and activities my devotional time is the first thing to suffer. Though it is the desire of my heart to make quiet time with God a priority, the clammer of the day's schedule makes it a struggle. I want to honor God by having an orderly home. I need to daily pray for wisdom and discernment regarding what things are priorities and what things I need to eliminate. Taking a break to relax and refresh my mind in the midst of the busyness of my day is a priority. Having a clear, calm mind will help me bring order to chaos.
Friday, October 15, 2004
CHILD TRAINING 101
I should probably title this post Parent Training 101 since that is where child training actually starts...and I've yet to figure out when the course ends! I have been a parent for 18 years, 6 months and 8 days and I am still being trained and re-trained. So often, I feel like I am failing the class -- I know the material but choke on the test. Take the subject of consistency, for example. I know what I should do but have such a hard time following through. In my quiet time yesterday morning I was reading Proverbs 19. Verse 18 admonishes us: "Discipline your son, for in that there is hope; do not be a willing party to his death." (NIV) That really caught my attention and I spent some time looking at this verse in other translations and its cross references.
The second part of that verse, "...do not be a willing party to his death" sure makes an impact. Proverbs 13:24 tells us "He who spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is careful to discipline him." Proverbs 22:15 says, "Folly is bound up in the heart of a child, but the rod of discipline will drive it far from him." The "rod" may be literally an instrument used to administer a spanking or it may be a figure of speech for discipline of any kind. These verses tell me that discipline is rooted in love and parents are urged to apply the rod of punishment so that the child will not follow a path of destruction. If we neglect this responsibility we are, in effect, knowingly looking the other way while our child takes the wrong fork in the road which puts him in harm's way.
It is not easy to discipline our children -- I do not enjoy it. It is exhausting and draining. I give in too often to their whining and crying because it takes too much effort to be "the bad guy". When this happens, their behavior and character suffers for it. That same verse, Proverbs 19:18, in the King James Version puts it this way: "Chasten thy son while there is hope, and let not thy soul spare for his crying." When I stick to what I know is best for them, not taking the "easy" way out for me, the results are worth it.
Another subject in this Parent Training 101 course is my own track record of obedience. I need to examine how well I have obeyed the authorities in my life. Was I obedient to my parents as a child? Do I submit to my husband? Does God direct my paths? Do I confess my failings in these areas? The example of respect and obedience that I set for my children is observed by them all day long. Yikes. This is a huge responsibility and I stumble more often than not. But the best thing about stumbling is landing on my knees, which is the best place to be when I'm training my children.
The second part of that verse, "...do not be a willing party to his death" sure makes an impact. Proverbs 13:24 tells us "He who spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is careful to discipline him." Proverbs 22:15 says, "Folly is bound up in the heart of a child, but the rod of discipline will drive it far from him." The "rod" may be literally an instrument used to administer a spanking or it may be a figure of speech for discipline of any kind. These verses tell me that discipline is rooted in love and parents are urged to apply the rod of punishment so that the child will not follow a path of destruction. If we neglect this responsibility we are, in effect, knowingly looking the other way while our child takes the wrong fork in the road which puts him in harm's way.
It is not easy to discipline our children -- I do not enjoy it. It is exhausting and draining. I give in too often to their whining and crying because it takes too much effort to be "the bad guy". When this happens, their behavior and character suffers for it. That same verse, Proverbs 19:18, in the King James Version puts it this way: "Chasten thy son while there is hope, and let not thy soul spare for his crying." When I stick to what I know is best for them, not taking the "easy" way out for me, the results are worth it.
Another subject in this Parent Training 101 course is my own track record of obedience. I need to examine how well I have obeyed the authorities in my life. Was I obedient to my parents as a child? Do I submit to my husband? Does God direct my paths? Do I confess my failings in these areas? The example of respect and obedience that I set for my children is observed by them all day long. Yikes. This is a huge responsibility and I stumble more often than not. But the best thing about stumbling is landing on my knees, which is the best place to be when I'm training my children.
Tuesday, October 12, 2004
BEDTIME BLESSINGS
Early this morning I was made sharply aware of a blessing I'd overlooked. We were awakened at 4:15 AM by the ringing of the phone which, at that hour, is seldom a harbinger of good news. It was our friend, Mike, on his way to work the early shift, calling to tell us that the sporting goods store, The Tackle Box where Ramsey is employed, had been smashed into with a car. Mike had already called the Sheriff's Department but didn't know how to get ahold of Karen, the owner, who was out of town at a buying show. Mark and Ramsey hurried to the store where they were able to give the responding officers information regarding the owner and whether it looked like anything was stolen (nothing was). There were 50 feet of skid marks and a lot of damage to the front of the building. Upon seeing a young girl still on the scene in her smashed-up car, Ramsey felt pretty sure the actual culprit was her boyfriend. At first, the girl tried to cover for him but, after some pressure from the police, she took them to where he boyfriend was and he confessed and was apprehended. Ramsey had a phone number to reach Karen; Mark called to tell her what had happened, that he and Ramsey were going to do what was needed to clean up the mess, board up the windows and get the store in working order.
At home the other kids and I prayed for Karen, asking that God would comfort her and protect her as she travels back home. We are thankful that it was not a robbery situation in which, if she had been home, she might possibly have been harmed.
It was as we prayed for the young people involved in the incident that I was made keenly aware of the overlooked blessing in our life. While this boy and girl were out doing whatever they were doing that led them to driving a car into the front of the store, my boys and girls were piled on our queen-size bed which their mother and father had retired to. They do this quite often; coming in to talk, laugh, lay by us and wrestle each other. Mark finds this rather annoying at times but, as I thought about my 18 year old son stretched across the end of our bed with his head pillowed on my hip (and his smelly socks in his 10 year old brother's face - one source of the wrestling), my 14 year old daughter curled up between her brothers and her 11 year old sister wedged between Mark and me, I wondered how many parents were blessed to be crammed into a not-big-enough bed with all their children (not just the little ones) wanting to share this time at the end of the day. When Mark can't take the ruckus and racket anymore we pray with them, send them off to their own beds and stretch out our cramped legs into the warm spots left from where they had lain. Something, that to some might seem strange or insignificant, to me is a gift of God's grace -- when darkness settles down over the day and the question is asked, "Parents, do you know where your children are?" I can answer, "Yes, I do -- they're on my bed!"
At home the other kids and I prayed for Karen, asking that God would comfort her and protect her as she travels back home. We are thankful that it was not a robbery situation in which, if she had been home, she might possibly have been harmed.
It was as we prayed for the young people involved in the incident that I was made keenly aware of the overlooked blessing in our life. While this boy and girl were out doing whatever they were doing that led them to driving a car into the front of the store, my boys and girls were piled on our queen-size bed which their mother and father had retired to. They do this quite often; coming in to talk, laugh, lay by us and wrestle each other. Mark finds this rather annoying at times but, as I thought about my 18 year old son stretched across the end of our bed with his head pillowed on my hip (and his smelly socks in his 10 year old brother's face - one source of the wrestling), my 14 year old daughter curled up between her brothers and her 11 year old sister wedged between Mark and me, I wondered how many parents were blessed to be crammed into a not-big-enough bed with all their children (not just the little ones) wanting to share this time at the end of the day. When Mark can't take the ruckus and racket anymore we pray with them, send them off to their own beds and stretch out our cramped legs into the warm spots left from where they had lain. Something, that to some might seem strange or insignificant, to me is a gift of God's grace -- when darkness settles down over the day and the question is asked, "Parents, do you know where your children are?" I can answer, "Yes, I do -- they're on my bed!"
Saturday, October 09, 2004
BIRTHDAY SONG
I haven't blogged the last few days because I really wasn't home long enough to do so. Wednesday was busy with appointments, errands and Family Dinner Nite at church. But Thursday and Friday were a special birthday gift from Mark. He took two days off work to do whatever I wanted to do...he couldn't have given me a better present. We headed up into the U.P. without any real destination in mind, just a general direction and spontaneity.
Driving west on U.S. 2, as far as the eye can see, the hills of the iron and copper range are ablaze with an intensity of color that takes your breath away. We got as far as Bessemer and decided to head north 15 miles to Black River Harbor on Lake Superior. Once there, we hiked up to Rainbow Falls through beautiful hemlock and yellow birch forest, sat on the bluff above the rushing gorge and watched a fly-fisherman further downstream. We followed a narrow foot path on a spine of a ridge down to the shore of Superior, where the clear water stroked the sand and stones. As I sat there, I reflected on 44 years...where did they go? I don't feel 44 in my head (my knees and hips are another story). God has been so good to me; brought me through so much and blessed me in spite of my being prone to wander. I sang praise to Him there on the shore of Gitchee Gumee, by the Shining Big Sea Water...
I will praise You, O Lord, with all my heart; I will tell of all Your wonders. I will be glad and rejoice in You; I will sing praise to Your Name, O Most High. (Ps. 9:1-2)
When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have set in place, what is man that You are mindful of him, the son of man that You care for him...O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is Your Name in all the earth! (Ps. 9:3-4,9)
Driving west on U.S. 2, as far as the eye can see, the hills of the iron and copper range are ablaze with an intensity of color that takes your breath away. We got as far as Bessemer and decided to head north 15 miles to Black River Harbor on Lake Superior. Once there, we hiked up to Rainbow Falls through beautiful hemlock and yellow birch forest, sat on the bluff above the rushing gorge and watched a fly-fisherman further downstream. We followed a narrow foot path on a spine of a ridge down to the shore of Superior, where the clear water stroked the sand and stones. As I sat there, I reflected on 44 years...where did they go? I don't feel 44 in my head (my knees and hips are another story). God has been so good to me; brought me through so much and blessed me in spite of my being prone to wander. I sang praise to Him there on the shore of Gitchee Gumee, by the Shining Big Sea Water...
I will praise You, O Lord, with all my heart; I will tell of all Your wonders. I will be glad and rejoice in You; I will sing praise to Your Name, O Most High. (Ps. 9:1-2)
When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have set in place, what is man that You are mindful of him, the son of man that You care for him...O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is Your Name in all the earth! (Ps. 9:3-4,9)
Tuesday, October 05, 2004
HOLD YOUR TONGUE
I am reading the Book of James in the New Testament during my
devotional time. I have read this book many times over the years and it never fails to speak directly to me. For being one of the shorter books in the New Testament, it sure packs a punch. One area in my life that I'm always getting "punched" about is controling my tongue. There are many passages of Scripture that speak about this which tells me that it is a serious matter. In the first chapter of James, verses 19-20 say, "My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry, for man's anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires." And verse 26 of the same chapter says, "If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless." James continues to address this issue in Chapter 3, comparing the effect of the tongue with the effect of a bit in a horse's mouth, the effect of a rudder on a ship and the effect of a small spark in a great forest: "Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell." Whew! The evil that comes out of our mouths is lying, boasting, slander, gossip, lewd and foul talk, cursing, mean and spiteful words, and deceitful, misleading talk. We all know what kind of an effect these things can have on a person. James goes on in verse 9 to say, "With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God's likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be."
Ephesians 4:29 tells us: "Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen." This is very convicting to me...and a very tall order, one I'm not very successful at achieving. I need help. Where do I begin? James, again, comes through in Chapter 1, verse 5: "If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him." I ask God to help me and He directs me in His Word to examine myself (2 Cor. 13:5) and to "take every thought captive to make it obedient to Christ" (2 Cor. 10:5). "Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting" (Ps. 139:23-24). Scary prayer, but a necessary one..."For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks" (Mt. 12:34). I don't know about you, but I don't get the warm fuzzies when I examine the contents of my heart. Mercifully for me, when I ask God to examine my heart and reveal any offensiveness, He doesn't dump the whole load on me at once. He gently shows me one or two things at a time that I need to 'fess up to and I ask Him to forgive me and then help me to overcome that sin through the power of His Holy Spirit in me. "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9).
Today my prayer is the lyrics of the worship song we sang in church on Sunday:
Purify my heart; touch me with Your cleansing fire. Take me to the Cross, Your holiness is my desire. Breathe Your life in me; kindle a love that flows from Your throne. O purify my heart...purify my heart.
Purify my heart, Lord...and wash my mouth out in the process. Thank You, Father.
devotional time. I have read this book many times over the years and it never fails to speak directly to me. For being one of the shorter books in the New Testament, it sure packs a punch. One area in my life that I'm always getting "punched" about is controling my tongue. There are many passages of Scripture that speak about this which tells me that it is a serious matter. In the first chapter of James, verses 19-20 say, "My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry, for man's anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires." And verse 26 of the same chapter says, "If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless." James continues to address this issue in Chapter 3, comparing the effect of the tongue with the effect of a bit in a horse's mouth, the effect of a rudder on a ship and the effect of a small spark in a great forest: "Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell." Whew! The evil that comes out of our mouths is lying, boasting, slander, gossip, lewd and foul talk, cursing, mean and spiteful words, and deceitful, misleading talk. We all know what kind of an effect these things can have on a person. James goes on in verse 9 to say, "With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God's likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be."
Ephesians 4:29 tells us: "Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen." This is very convicting to me...and a very tall order, one I'm not very successful at achieving. I need help. Where do I begin? James, again, comes through in Chapter 1, verse 5: "If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him." I ask God to help me and He directs me in His Word to examine myself (2 Cor. 13:5) and to "take every thought captive to make it obedient to Christ" (2 Cor. 10:5). "Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting" (Ps. 139:23-24). Scary prayer, but a necessary one..."For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks" (Mt. 12:34). I don't know about you, but I don't get the warm fuzzies when I examine the contents of my heart. Mercifully for me, when I ask God to examine my heart and reveal any offensiveness, He doesn't dump the whole load on me at once. He gently shows me one or two things at a time that I need to 'fess up to and I ask Him to forgive me and then help me to overcome that sin through the power of His Holy Spirit in me. "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9).
Today my prayer is the lyrics of the worship song we sang in church on Sunday:
Purify my heart; touch me with Your cleansing fire. Take me to the Cross, Your holiness is my desire. Breathe Your life in me; kindle a love that flows from Your throne. O purify my heart...purify my heart.
Purify my heart, Lord...and wash my mouth out in the process. Thank You, Father.
Monday, October 04, 2004
OCTOBER
October is a fickle month. Or maybe I should say "moody" ... bright, sunny and warm one day; dark, cloudy and cold the next. Sometimes it's downright schizophrenic...all four seasons in one day! This morning we woke to a covering of snow on the leaves and grass with the sun pushing away the clouds. Now, a couple hours later, the clouds are winning and have completely blanketed the sky in gray. It'll probably go back and forth like this all day.
The house is a little chilly; I've yet to fire up the furnace for the fall season, but today just might be the day. Have to see who wins the shoving match in the sky -- Clouds, it's furnace; sun, it's bake something in the oven and put on wool sox.
The house is a little chilly; I've yet to fire up the furnace for the fall season, but today just might be the day. Have to see who wins the shoving match in the sky -- Clouds, it's furnace; sun, it's bake something in the oven and put on wool sox.
Saturday, October 02, 2004
SIMPLE MINDED
That's me! Simple minded...sometimes a downright simpleton. Well, not really; but there are times I can be pretty dense! Spiritually speaking though, I am content to be simple minded. I have no problem accepting the Bible as the infallible Word of God, given to chosen men to be recorded as they were inspired by the Holy Spirit. Therefore, I do not feel the need to come up with "logical" explanations for where Cain got his wife and how people could have lived for more than 900 years (in light of the fact that when God created man He originally intended him to live forever, 900 years is a drop in the bucket!). Whether or not the Egyptian plagues were an intensification of natural events taking place in less than a year and coming at God's bidding and timing, they still were miraculous and glorified the one true God to a polytheistic culture. Pharoah, the Egyptians and all Israel saw the power of God. The Creation taking place in seven days by God's spoken Word, the Ark and the Flood, the parting of the Red Sea, Jonah surviving three days in the belly of a whale, David's defeat of Goliath; none of these are stumbling blocks for me. They are all examples of when a person answers God's call to trust Him and obey, God is faithful to respond in awesome and mighty ways.
It amazes me how readily the world accepts the works of ancient authors, like Homer, Sophocles, Aristotle, Plato and Caesar, etc., as authentic to the original manuscripts. How many manuscript copies of ancient works are available for study today? The 643 manuscript copies that exist of Homer's Iliad is the most for any ancient work. There are only about 10 manuscripts found of Caesar's War Commentaries, seven for Plato's Tetralogies, 20 for Livy's History of Rome. How about the New Testament? There are 5,309 known manuscripts in the original Greek language. There are also more than 19,000 ancient New Testament manuscripts in other languages such as Latin, Syriac and Armenian. For a total of 24,633. The time interval between the date of the original writing and the earliest known manuscript copies of the New Testament compared to other ancient works is astonishing. Caesar's War Commentaries was written about 50 B.C., but no copies are available for study which were written before the 9th century -- a gap of over 900 years. Most of the Greek writings have even greater gaps (1000-1500 years), the Latin writings somewhat less. The shortest span of any ancient work is that of Virgil, about 300 years between the original writing and the oldest known copy. The New Testament was written over a period of about 50 years, beginning around A.D. 47. Using the year A.D. 100 as the latest possible date for their completion, the John Rylands papyrus, a fragment containing a few verses of the Gospel of John, dates about A.D. 125 -- only some 35 years after the original writing by the apostle. The Bodmer and Chester Beatty papyri, a find consisting of a majority of the New Testament, dates from about A.D. 175-250. Major copies within 100-150 years of the originals. Bible scholar, Frederic Kenyon, in his commentary The Bible and Modern Scholarship, writes: "No other ancient book has anything like such early and plentiful testimony to its text, and no unbiased scholar would deny that the text that has come down to us is substantially sound."
All of this information just reaffirms my belief in the Bible as the literal Word of God but I am thankful I did not need to know all this before I believed. Trying to seek God through one's intellect just does not work. It's a matter of the heart. Jesus says, "I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the Kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it." (Mark 10:15) The point He's making by this comparison is the openness and receptivity of children. The Kingdom of God must be received as a gift; it cannot be achieved by any of our efforts.
"For the message of the Cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written: 'I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.' Where is the wise man? Where is the scholar? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know Him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than man's wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man's strength." (1 Corinthians 1:18-25)
So call me a simple-minded fool.
It amazes me how readily the world accepts the works of ancient authors, like Homer, Sophocles, Aristotle, Plato and Caesar, etc., as authentic to the original manuscripts. How many manuscript copies of ancient works are available for study today? The 643 manuscript copies that exist of Homer's Iliad is the most for any ancient work. There are only about 10 manuscripts found of Caesar's War Commentaries, seven for Plato's Tetralogies, 20 for Livy's History of Rome. How about the New Testament? There are 5,309 known manuscripts in the original Greek language. There are also more than 19,000 ancient New Testament manuscripts in other languages such as Latin, Syriac and Armenian. For a total of 24,633. The time interval between the date of the original writing and the earliest known manuscript copies of the New Testament compared to other ancient works is astonishing. Caesar's War Commentaries was written about 50 B.C., but no copies are available for study which were written before the 9th century -- a gap of over 900 years. Most of the Greek writings have even greater gaps (1000-1500 years), the Latin writings somewhat less. The shortest span of any ancient work is that of Virgil, about 300 years between the original writing and the oldest known copy. The New Testament was written over a period of about 50 years, beginning around A.D. 47. Using the year A.D. 100 as the latest possible date for their completion, the John Rylands papyrus, a fragment containing a few verses of the Gospel of John, dates about A.D. 125 -- only some 35 years after the original writing by the apostle. The Bodmer and Chester Beatty papyri, a find consisting of a majority of the New Testament, dates from about A.D. 175-250. Major copies within 100-150 years of the originals. Bible scholar, Frederic Kenyon, in his commentary The Bible and Modern Scholarship, writes: "No other ancient book has anything like such early and plentiful testimony to its text, and no unbiased scholar would deny that the text that has come down to us is substantially sound."
All of this information just reaffirms my belief in the Bible as the literal Word of God but I am thankful I did not need to know all this before I believed. Trying to seek God through one's intellect just does not work. It's a matter of the heart. Jesus says, "I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the Kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it." (Mark 10:15) The point He's making by this comparison is the openness and receptivity of children. The Kingdom of God must be received as a gift; it cannot be achieved by any of our efforts.
"For the message of the Cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written: 'I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.' Where is the wise man? Where is the scholar? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know Him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than man's wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man's strength." (1 Corinthians 1:18-25)
So call me a simple-minded fool.
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