I have been hearing a lot about logic lately. There are those who refuse to accept the Bible as the Word of God or YESHUA as Messiah for "logical" reasons. The Creation account in Genesis is deemed "illogical" and too close to pagan mythology for comfort. So I thought I would post an excerpt from an article that I found convincing concerning logic and faith. Comments welcome.
Loving God With All Your Mind: Logic and Creation
by Jonathan D. Sarfati
Logic and reason are far from being incompatible with biblical Christianity. Rather, they are essential. Without them it is impossible to deduce anything from the true propositions of the 66 books of Scripture, the Christian’s final authority. This applies to Creation, one the of foundational doctrines of Christianity. Examples of valid and fallacious reasoning are discussed, with emphasis on showing how logical reasoning can support the truth of biblical creation, and demonstrate the fallacies in many evolutionist’s arguments.
Logic is the science of the relations between propositions. Logic can tell us what can be inferred from a given proposition, but it cannot tell us whether the given proposition is true in the first place. All philosophical systems rely on logical deductions from starting assumptions—axioms—which, by definition, cannot be proven from prior assumption. For our axioms, it is rational to accept the propositions revealed by the infallible God in the 66 books of the Bible.
Scriptural Considerations
Martin Luther correctly distinguished between the magisterial and ministerial use of reason.
The magisterial use of reason occurs when reason stands over Scripture like a magistrate and judges it. Such ‘reasoning’ is bound to be flawed, because it starts with axioms invented by fallible humans and not revealed by the infallible God. But this is the chief characteristic of liberal ‘Christianity’. It is refuted by Scriptural passages such as Isaiah 55:8–9
8 ‘For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,’ declares the Lord.
9 ‘As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.’
Note that this does not say ‘My logic is higher than your logic’. If so, then if we believed 2+2=4, God could believe 2+2=5. What it does mean is that God knows every true proposition, while we know only a part. Another passage is Romans 9:19–21
19 One of you will say to me: ‘Then why does God still blame us? For who resists his will?’
20 But who are you, O man, to talk back to God? Shall what is formed say to him who formed it, ‘Why did you make me like this?’
21 Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for noble purposes and some for common use?
The ministerial use of reason occurs when reason submits to Scripture. This means that all things necessary for our faith and life are either expressly set down in Scripture or may be deduced by good and necessary consequence from Scripture.2
Many Scriptural passages show that Christians are not supposed to check in their brains at the church door, but to use their God-given minds in subjection to God’s Word, e.g. Isaiah 1:18
18 ‘Come now, let us reason together,’ says the Lord. ‘Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.’
Matthew 22:36–38
36 ‘Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?’
37 Jesus replied: ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’
38 This is the first and greatest commandment.’
Romans 12:2
2 Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
1 Corinthians 2:16
16 ‘For who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct him?’ But we have the mind of Christ.
Note—mind of Christ, not feelings or emotions of Christ.
Much confusion arises when some people disparage ‘head knowledge’. For example, Geoff Smith, who was Pastor of the large Auckland Bible Church (New Zealand), has pointed out that in some churches, anything that has to do with rational thinking is suspect and strongly discouraged.3 Rational thinking is branded as something coming from the flesh. People of the Spirit won’t try to understand what’s happening—they will simply accept the ‘blessing’. The catch words are unmistakable: ‘Don’t try to understand this’, ‘Don’t try to analyse this’, ‘Don’t try to figure this out with your mind’, etc.
In such thinking there is no real understanding that faith is always built on knowledge. The prophet Isaiah asks repeatedly ‘Do you not know, have you not heard?’ (Isaiah 40:21,28).
Jesus repeatedly asks: ‘Have you not read …?’ and tells the Sadducees that they are in error because they ‘do not know the Scriptures or the power of God’ (Matt. 22:29).
In his letters Paul constantly shows that true, functional faith is always built on knowledge. Conversely, deficient faith is traced back to its unmistakable cause—deficient knowledge. Paul repeatedly asks the question ‘Don’t you know …?’ (Rom. 6:3, 16; 11:2; 1 Cor. 3:16; 1 Cor. 5:6; 1 Cor. 6:2, 3, 9, 15, 16, 19; 1 Cor. 9:13, 27). Notice also the same question being asked by James (James 4:4). Philip asked the Ethiopian eunuch: ‘Do you understand what you are reading?’ (Acts 8:30).
Part of the confusion lies in the misunderstanding of the word ‘heart’ in the Bible. Some people make a false contrast between ‘head-knowledge’ and ‘heart-trust’. When interpreting Scripture, it is important to work out what the authors meant by the term. In this case, one should work out what ‘heart’ meant to ancient Semites, not what it means in Hollywood pop-psychology. In the Bible, the word ‘heart’ is used 75% of the time to mean the mind or intellect. However, the Bible frequently contrasts the heart and the lips—sincerity vs. hypocrisy, for example:
Genesis 6:5:
5 The Lord saw how great man’s wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time.
Psalm 14:1:
1 The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God.’ They are corrupt, their deeds are vile; there is no one who does good.
The New Testament concept of faith is compatible with reason. The Greek word for ‘faith’ is pistis which is related to the verb pisteuo meaning ‘believe’. It never has the connotation of ‘believing six impossible things before breakfast’, but ‘is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.’ (Heb. 11:1). Many non-Christians have a misconception of biblical faith, and unfortunately some Christians have accepted this........
.......The basis for logic
A final question is, why should logic work at all? Not only can unbelievers not make a sound case against Christianity, but an atheistic world-view attacks the very basis of reasoning itself. This was realised by the famous Communist evolutionist biologist, J.B.S. Haldane:
‘If my mental processes are determined wholly by the motions of atoms in my brain, I have no reason to suppose my beliefs are true … and hence I have no reason for supposing my brain to be composed of atoms.’
In a debate between the Christian, William Lane Craig and the atheist, Frank Zindler, Zindler claimed that our logical processes evolved for survival value. Craig pointed out that this provides no reason for us to trust their validity, only their value in survival.
Even Darwin wrote in an early private notebook, ‘Why is thought, being a secretion of brain, more wonderful than gravity as a property of matter?’ But this argument is self-defeating. For it applies to that thought of Darwin’s too, and to every thought about evolution, hence we have no reason to trust them.
The famous Marxist paleontologist Stephen Jay Gould claimed that the mind was an illusion produced by the brain. So why should we trust anything Gould says, if his thoughts are illusions?
This only shows that many atheistic theories actually refute themselves. Thus there is no need for independent empirical tests for them. Conversely, the Christian doctrine that we are created in the image of a logical God is an excellent explanation for our logical faculties....
much more at link, with footnotes.....
http://www.answersingenesis.org/tj/v12/i2/logic.asp
8/11/2008
8/07/2008
Haaretz Interview with Son of Hamas Sheik
The son of a Hamas leader has found Yeshua and is now living in California. Sounds like a genuine conversion to me. I wonder if the outreach of Messianics could be involved. May his testimony impact other Muslims. And may his Bible reading lead him to a Torah-based lifestyle.
Excerpt:
........How were you exposed to Christianity?
"It began about eight years ago. I was in Jerusalem and I received an invitation to come and hear about Christianity. Out of curiosity I went. I was very enthusiastic about what I heard. I began to read the Bible every day and I continued with religion lessons. I did it in secret, of course. I used to travel to the Ramallah hills, to places like the Al Tira neighborhood, and to sit there quietly with the amazing landscape and read the Bible. A verse like "Love thine enemy" had a great influence on me. At this stage I was still a Muslim and I thought that I would remain one. But every day I saw the terrible things done in the name of religion by those who considered themselves 'great believers.' I studied Islam more thoroughly and found no answers there. I reexamined the Koran and the principals of the faith and found how it is mistaken and misleading. The Muslims borrowed rituals and traditions from all the surrounding religions."
But they all did that.
He doesn't respond to this comment directly. "I feel that Christianity has several aspects. It's not only a religion but a faith. I now see God through Jesus and can tell about him for days on end, whereas the Muslims won't be able to say anything about God. I consider Islam a big lie. The people who supposedly represent the religion admired Mohammed more than God, killed innocent people in the name of Islam, beat their wives and don't have any idea what God is. I have no doubt that they'll go to Hell. I have a message for them: There is only one way to Paradise - the way of Jesus who sacrificed himself on the cross for all of us." ...........
You miss Israel?
"I respect Israel and admire it as a country. I'm opposed to a policy of killing civilians, or using them as a means to an end, and I understand that Israel has a right to defend itself. The Palestinians, if they don't have an enemy to fight, will fight each other. In about 20 years from now you'll remember what I'm telling you, the conflict will be among various groups within Hamas. They're already beginning to quarrel over control of the money."
He does not conceal his abhorrence of everything representing the human surroundings in which he grew up: the nation, the religion, the organization.
"You Jews should be aware: You will never, but never have peace with Hamas. Islam, as the ideology that guides them, will not allow them to achieve a peace agreement with the Jews. They believe that tradition says that the Prophet Mohammed fought against the Jews and that therefore they must continue to fight them to the death. They have to take revenge against anyone who did not agree to accept the Prophet Mohammed, like the Jews who are seen in the Koran as monkeys and the sons of pigs. They speak in terms of historical rights that were taken from them. In the view of Hamas, peace with Israel contradicts sharia and the Koran, and the Jews have no right to remain in Palestine." .......
Cloudy future
In spite of his financial distress, the severance from his family and the loneliness, during the entire interview he sounded determined and sure of himself. "I hope that I'll succeed one day in becoming a writer, in order to write about my personal story and about the Middle East conflict. But at the moment, at least, my ambitions are only to find work, a place to live. I have no money, I have no apartment. I was about to become one of those homeless people, but people from the church are helping me. I'm dependent on them."
Why did you leave? After all, there are other Christians in Ramallah.
"I left behind a great deal of property in Ramallah in order to achieve true freedom. I wanted to get to quiet surroundings that would help me to open the eyes of the Muslims and reveal the truth to them about their religion and about Christianity, to take them out of the darkness and the prison of Islam. In that way they'll have an opportunity to correct their mistakes, to become better people and to bring a chance for peace in the Middle East. I don't give Islam a chance to survive for more than 25 years. In the past they scared people and in that way they prevented anti-religious publicity, but today, in the modern age, they won't be able to hide the truth any longer."
At the moment he doesn't have a partner, but he is relying on help from above on this matter, too. "I hope that someday God will give the opportunity to meet the right one. She will have to be a believing Christian, and if she's a Jew who converted, even better."
There are things that Masab-Joseph is still afraid to talk about. In the middle of the meeting he wanted us to go outside the restaurant in order to make sure that I wasn't carrying listening or recording devices.
"Many people will hate me for this interview, but I'm telling them that I love all of them, even those who hate me. I invite all the people, including the terrorists among them, to open their hearts and believe. Now I'm trying to establish an international organization for young people that will teach about Christianity, love and peace in the territories, too. I would like to teach the young people how to love and forgive, because that's the only way the two nations can overcome the mistakes of the past and live in peace."
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1007462.html
Excerpt:
........How were you exposed to Christianity?
"It began about eight years ago. I was in Jerusalem and I received an invitation to come and hear about Christianity. Out of curiosity I went. I was very enthusiastic about what I heard. I began to read the Bible every day and I continued with religion lessons. I did it in secret, of course. I used to travel to the Ramallah hills, to places like the Al Tira neighborhood, and to sit there quietly with the amazing landscape and read the Bible. A verse like "Love thine enemy" had a great influence on me. At this stage I was still a Muslim and I thought that I would remain one. But every day I saw the terrible things done in the name of religion by those who considered themselves 'great believers.' I studied Islam more thoroughly and found no answers there. I reexamined the Koran and the principals of the faith and found how it is mistaken and misleading. The Muslims borrowed rituals and traditions from all the surrounding religions."
But they all did that.
He doesn't respond to this comment directly. "I feel that Christianity has several aspects. It's not only a religion but a faith. I now see God through Jesus and can tell about him for days on end, whereas the Muslims won't be able to say anything about God. I consider Islam a big lie. The people who supposedly represent the religion admired Mohammed more than God, killed innocent people in the name of Islam, beat their wives and don't have any idea what God is. I have no doubt that they'll go to Hell. I have a message for them: There is only one way to Paradise - the way of Jesus who sacrificed himself on the cross for all of us." ...........
You miss Israel?
"I respect Israel and admire it as a country. I'm opposed to a policy of killing civilians, or using them as a means to an end, and I understand that Israel has a right to defend itself. The Palestinians, if they don't have an enemy to fight, will fight each other. In about 20 years from now you'll remember what I'm telling you, the conflict will be among various groups within Hamas. They're already beginning to quarrel over control of the money."
He does not conceal his abhorrence of everything representing the human surroundings in which he grew up: the nation, the religion, the organization.
"You Jews should be aware: You will never, but never have peace with Hamas. Islam, as the ideology that guides them, will not allow them to achieve a peace agreement with the Jews. They believe that tradition says that the Prophet Mohammed fought against the Jews and that therefore they must continue to fight them to the death. They have to take revenge against anyone who did not agree to accept the Prophet Mohammed, like the Jews who are seen in the Koran as monkeys and the sons of pigs. They speak in terms of historical rights that were taken from them. In the view of Hamas, peace with Israel contradicts sharia and the Koran, and the Jews have no right to remain in Palestine." .......
Cloudy future
In spite of his financial distress, the severance from his family and the loneliness, during the entire interview he sounded determined and sure of himself. "I hope that I'll succeed one day in becoming a writer, in order to write about my personal story and about the Middle East conflict. But at the moment, at least, my ambitions are only to find work, a place to live. I have no money, I have no apartment. I was about to become one of those homeless people, but people from the church are helping me. I'm dependent on them."
Why did you leave? After all, there are other Christians in Ramallah.
"I left behind a great deal of property in Ramallah in order to achieve true freedom. I wanted to get to quiet surroundings that would help me to open the eyes of the Muslims and reveal the truth to them about their religion and about Christianity, to take them out of the darkness and the prison of Islam. In that way they'll have an opportunity to correct their mistakes, to become better people and to bring a chance for peace in the Middle East. I don't give Islam a chance to survive for more than 25 years. In the past they scared people and in that way they prevented anti-religious publicity, but today, in the modern age, they won't be able to hide the truth any longer."
At the moment he doesn't have a partner, but he is relying on help from above on this matter, too. "I hope that someday God will give the opportunity to meet the right one. She will have to be a believing Christian, and if she's a Jew who converted, even better."
There are things that Masab-Joseph is still afraid to talk about. In the middle of the meeting he wanted us to go outside the restaurant in order to make sure that I wasn't carrying listening or recording devices.
"Many people will hate me for this interview, but I'm telling them that I love all of them, even those who hate me. I invite all the people, including the terrorists among them, to open their hearts and believe. Now I'm trying to establish an international organization for young people that will teach about Christianity, love and peace in the territories, too. I would like to teach the young people how to love and forgive, because that's the only way the two nations can overcome the mistakes of the past and live in peace."
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1007462.html
8/06/2008
Good Riddance to the Strays?
Believers in growing numbers today have become restless with questions they feel they can no longer ignore, but must answer in order to continue in the faith. Often these involve what are euphemistically called "difficulties": Scriptures that appear to be contradictions; New Testament quotes from the Tanach (Old Testament) that seem irrelevant or mistaken; unsettling events in Scripture that no one seems able to reconcile with the G-d they have been taught to love. These are not difficult to find (see our article "Knowing the Word of G-d" for just a few examples). And yet the Lord's people are commonly expected to ignore them, or to be satisfied with assurances that in spite of the "difficulties", the Scriptures are "inerrant in their original autographs" (which does us no practical good, since we no longer have the "original autographs").
Believers who are uncompromising lovers of truth can become desperate enough to hunt for answers outside the bounds of the Christian or Messianic community. If such a questioning believer runs into anti-missionaries (Jewish antagonists dedicated to "rescuing the deceived" with "refutations" of the Gospel), and he fails to find coherent responses to their challenge in his own community, he can decide that he was simply mistaken about the reliability of the New Testament and relocate to the Jewish community, which seems to have a more honest approach. He shocks us all by announcing one day that he has come to the only right conclusion: Yeshua is not, could not be, the Messiah. How do the rest of us respond to these "traitors"?
...The scattered you have not brought back, nor have you sought for the lost.... (Ezekiel 34:4)
Yeshua gave us a parable about the one sheep that wanders away from the flock of a hundred. He spoke of the shepherd's readiness to go out and find that lost sheep as if the response was self-evident. No one but a "hireling" would question a shepherd's responsibility to put forth every effort to retrieve the stray, and no one celebrates unless he is successful in returning with that one bedraggled creature. In the spiritual parallel, our Lord explicitly says that Heaven centers its joy on the repentant, returned sheep ("repentance" and "return" are the same noun in Hebrew) rather than the faithful who were in no danger.
By our own actions, we create a different parable altogether. The 100th sheep proved by wandering off that it was never really part of the flock, and is in fact no better than a wolf. Yeshua's shepherd was well-meaning, but his zeal to recover the stray was unnecessary. We have concluded in our greater wisdom that once a sheep "abandons" the flock of the Lord, its shepherd is released from all obligation to it. His role is to stay put and guard the 99 faithful sheep, in case the wanderer returns to (heaven forbid) lead others away. If this shepherd calls for his friends to rejoice, it's because he still has 99 and only lost one in the ordeal. And good riddance to that "rebellious" one. The unanswerable questions were beginning to disturb flock and shepherds alike... who knows what group crisis would have broken out if the doubting one had stayed around?
Excerpted from Restoring Lost Believers at restorersofzion.org
See sidebar link or click on title of this entry
Believers who are uncompromising lovers of truth can become desperate enough to hunt for answers outside the bounds of the Christian or Messianic community. If such a questioning believer runs into anti-missionaries (Jewish antagonists dedicated to "rescuing the deceived" with "refutations" of the Gospel), and he fails to find coherent responses to their challenge in his own community, he can decide that he was simply mistaken about the reliability of the New Testament and relocate to the Jewish community, which seems to have a more honest approach. He shocks us all by announcing one day that he has come to the only right conclusion: Yeshua is not, could not be, the Messiah. How do the rest of us respond to these "traitors"?
...The scattered you have not brought back, nor have you sought for the lost.... (Ezekiel 34:4)
Yeshua gave us a parable about the one sheep that wanders away from the flock of a hundred. He spoke of the shepherd's readiness to go out and find that lost sheep as if the response was self-evident. No one but a "hireling" would question a shepherd's responsibility to put forth every effort to retrieve the stray, and no one celebrates unless he is successful in returning with that one bedraggled creature. In the spiritual parallel, our Lord explicitly says that Heaven centers its joy on the repentant, returned sheep ("repentance" and "return" are the same noun in Hebrew) rather than the faithful who were in no danger.
By our own actions, we create a different parable altogether. The 100th sheep proved by wandering off that it was never really part of the flock, and is in fact no better than a wolf. Yeshua's shepherd was well-meaning, but his zeal to recover the stray was unnecessary. We have concluded in our greater wisdom that once a sheep "abandons" the flock of the Lord, its shepherd is released from all obligation to it. His role is to stay put and guard the 99 faithful sheep, in case the wanderer returns to (heaven forbid) lead others away. If this shepherd calls for his friends to rejoice, it's because he still has 99 and only lost one in the ordeal. And good riddance to that "rebellious" one. The unanswerable questions were beginning to disturb flock and shepherds alike... who knows what group crisis would have broken out if the doubting one had stayed around?
Excerpted from Restoring Lost Believers at restorersofzion.org
See sidebar link or click on title of this entry
7/31/2008
The Messy Messianic Movement: An Open Letter to Banner K.
Shalom Banner,
I read your blog regularly with interest. I started to write this as a comment concerning your Derek L post but it got too long. My thoughts tend to go on and on in various tangents. : )
I always wondered what was meant when people referred to the Messianic movement as “messy.” More and more, I marvel at the mess we are all in, trying to navigate our way through 2000 years of errant teachings. At first I was appalled at discovering heretical teachings. I was disappointed when those I considered my “heroes of the faith” and role models fell into apostasy or embraced false doctrines of one kind or another. Now, however, I am getting used to the present state of affairs and try to love the brethren, pray for them, and hope we all find our way. We are all in this boat together, trying to avoid making shipwreck of our faith. The Adversary seems to be working overtime attempting to destroy whatever progress is being made in recovering the faith once delivered to the saints (Jude). As someone recently said, “this movement is falling apart as fast as it is growing.”
All we can do is continue to earnestly contend for the faith and hope many will be Bereans, search the Scriptures, and embrace the truth. I appreciate your efforts in this regard. It is a thankless job to point out error. The “prophets” (forth-tellers) are always stoned. But we must beware of bitterness.
While I disagree with Tim H. about Calvinism and other matters and am very disappointed that he closed down his forum, I still appreciate much that he teaches and writes, especially regarding “the unity of the Torah” ....which happens to be the title of his recent article available at torahresource.com (see my sidebar for link to article).
Here is an excerpt:
http://www.torahresource.com/EnglishArticles/UnityOfTorah.pdf
I think one of the sticking points with the debate over “One Law” for Jews and Gentiles is the question of HOW to keep Torah. Ethnic Jews take offense at Gentiles keeping their traditions...and I can somewhat understand their point of view. You and I live near Amish and Mennonite communities. If we were to adopt their dress and lifestyle without fully embracing their religion, they would think we were copycats mocking them or stealing their distinctiveness. Religious and secular Jews take offense by what they perceive as Messianics amalgamating Christianity with Judaism.
I see the Acts 15 Council ruling as setting basic halachic standards for Gentiles (renouncing all forms of paganism...dietary, religious, sexual) and then hearing Moses preached each Shabbat and heeding and embracing Torah. Adding Jewish TRADITIONS to Torah is not required. I have heard that God gave six commandments concerning Sabbath, but the rabbis have embellished these with “fences,” rendering it burdensome and joyless (the 39 prohibitions, etc.).
I have seen a documentary in which Orthodox Jews were praying with prayer books with tears streaming down their faces. They were obviously able to internalize the rote prayers and make them their own heart’s cry. If that can be done with the Siddurs that Messianics are using, fine. If liturgy is just rote, rubric, and ritual, it reminds me too much of my former Catholicism for me to be interested. For all my Missal reading and participation at Mass in my youth, I never knew God. Sometimes I wonder how many Messianics are truly born again. Liturgy could be a way for those separated from the LORD to attempt to draw nigh. Yet, apart from repentance, full surrender, and a born again experience, it won’t happen. A counterfeit spirituality is the result. Yeshua said, “Ye must be born again.” Messianics do not even mention this it seems, along with other neglected parts of the Bible, such as Bible prophecy and the soon return of the King of Kings. Many think we’ve got hundreds of years ahead of us to develop Messianic congregations, apologetics, theologies, etc. and pass them on to our children and grandchildren. How are they not seeing the signs of the times? Why do they refuse to consider the Biblical Chronology research of Dan Gregg and others? There is no doubt in my mind that we are in the End Times. Yeshua told us to make disciples and be ready for His return. THE GOSPEL OF THE KINGDOM must be preached in all the world....let us work to restore THE Gospel in its purity, unencumbered by 2000 years of man’s traditions, both Jewish and Christian, that tarnish its glory and relevance.
I read your blog regularly with interest. I started to write this as a comment concerning your Derek L post but it got too long. My thoughts tend to go on and on in various tangents. : )
I always wondered what was meant when people referred to the Messianic movement as “messy.” More and more, I marvel at the mess we are all in, trying to navigate our way through 2000 years of errant teachings. At first I was appalled at discovering heretical teachings. I was disappointed when those I considered my “heroes of the faith” and role models fell into apostasy or embraced false doctrines of one kind or another. Now, however, I am getting used to the present state of affairs and try to love the brethren, pray for them, and hope we all find our way. We are all in this boat together, trying to avoid making shipwreck of our faith. The Adversary seems to be working overtime attempting to destroy whatever progress is being made in recovering the faith once delivered to the saints (Jude). As someone recently said, “this movement is falling apart as fast as it is growing.”
All we can do is continue to earnestly contend for the faith and hope many will be Bereans, search the Scriptures, and embrace the truth. I appreciate your efforts in this regard. It is a thankless job to point out error. The “prophets” (forth-tellers) are always stoned. But we must beware of bitterness.
While I disagree with Tim H. about Calvinism and other matters and am very disappointed that he closed down his forum, I still appreciate much that he teaches and writes, especially regarding “the unity of the Torah” ....which happens to be the title of his recent article available at torahresource.com (see my sidebar for link to article).
Here is an excerpt:
.......As most of you know, my wife and I have two naturally born sons, and two adopted daughters. It is readily apparent to all who see us that our daughters have a different ethnicity—they are from Liberia, West Africa. Consider this scenario: years ago, when we were abundantly privileged to have our daughters join our family, we are sitting down at the dinner table to establish our “house rules.” I look at my two sons and remind them that they are to be in bed no later than 10:00pm, and I also reinforce the fact that if they fail to obey this rule, they will be disciplined. Then I turn to my daughters, and I say, “You are both welcomed to also observe the 10:00pm rule of being in bed. In fact, it would please me if you would.” That evening, I stop by my son’s bedrooms to make sure they have complied, and sure enough, lights are out and they’re in bed. But when I come to my daughter’s rooms, they are both still active and show no sign of even getting ready for bed. What is my response? Can I approach them by saying “Why didn’t you obey me?” No, I cannot, for the simple reason that an invitation does not bring obligation. By its very nature, an invitation leaves the outcome in the hands of the one invited. And in fact, this very principle is well known: children come to understand the genuine love of a parent, not when the parents suspend all boundaries, but when boundaries are established and lovingly enforced. And this is true in God’s family as well. All of His children have the same “house rules” and thus all of them experience His love when He disciplines them in order to bring them back into conformity to what He has commanded. Those who are not disciplined, who sense no personal obligation to obey His commandments, are those who are outside of His family.
The primary points that I hope to have emphasized in this short essay are these: 1) the Torah is eternal and is a unified whole which cannot be divided, 2) God has given the Torah by way of covenant to Israel, 3) all those from the nations, non-Jews, who attach themselves to the God of Israel by faith in His Messiah, Yeshua, are joined to Israel and therefore become covenant members with equal obligations and privileges, and 4) that such obligation to obey God’s Torah is the very mark of being His children, proven by the fact that He disciplines those within, not those outside, His family.
http://www.torahresource.com/EnglishArticles/UnityOfTorah.pdf
I think one of the sticking points with the debate over “One Law” for Jews and Gentiles is the question of HOW to keep Torah. Ethnic Jews take offense at Gentiles keeping their traditions...and I can somewhat understand their point of view. You and I live near Amish and Mennonite communities. If we were to adopt their dress and lifestyle without fully embracing their religion, they would think we were copycats mocking them or stealing their distinctiveness. Religious and secular Jews take offense by what they perceive as Messianics amalgamating Christianity with Judaism.
I see the Acts 15 Council ruling as setting basic halachic standards for Gentiles (renouncing all forms of paganism...dietary, religious, sexual) and then hearing Moses preached each Shabbat and heeding and embracing Torah. Adding Jewish TRADITIONS to Torah is not required. I have heard that God gave six commandments concerning Sabbath, but the rabbis have embellished these with “fences,” rendering it burdensome and joyless (the 39 prohibitions, etc.).
I have seen a documentary in which Orthodox Jews were praying with prayer books with tears streaming down their faces. They were obviously able to internalize the rote prayers and make them their own heart’s cry. If that can be done with the Siddurs that Messianics are using, fine. If liturgy is just rote, rubric, and ritual, it reminds me too much of my former Catholicism for me to be interested. For all my Missal reading and participation at Mass in my youth, I never knew God. Sometimes I wonder how many Messianics are truly born again. Liturgy could be a way for those separated from the LORD to attempt to draw nigh. Yet, apart from repentance, full surrender, and a born again experience, it won’t happen. A counterfeit spirituality is the result. Yeshua said, “Ye must be born again.” Messianics do not even mention this it seems, along with other neglected parts of the Bible, such as Bible prophecy and the soon return of the King of Kings. Many think we’ve got hundreds of years ahead of us to develop Messianic congregations, apologetics, theologies, etc. and pass them on to our children and grandchildren. How are they not seeing the signs of the times? Why do they refuse to consider the Biblical Chronology research of Dan Gregg and others? There is no doubt in my mind that we are in the End Times. Yeshua told us to make disciples and be ready for His return. THE GOSPEL OF THE KINGDOM must be preached in all the world....let us work to restore THE Gospel in its purity, unencumbered by 2000 years of man’s traditions, both Jewish and Christian, that tarnish its glory and relevance.
7/21/2008
Calvinism: A Troubling Theological Perspective
[I thought this was a well-written, witty account of what’s wrong with Calvinism. See comments section for my own thoughts on the topic...and the sidebar for interesting webpages critiquing Calvinism.]
THE DAISY THAT POSED AS A TULIP
by James A. Fowler
This is a tale full of charade and chicanery. It is the story of the daisy that posed as a tulip. One might be inclined to conclude that a daisy that posed as a tulip would by definition be a poesy, but despite the fact that this daisy has engaged in much posing and posturing, it remains a dusey of a disingenuous daisy. Some have suspected that the daisy was actually a dandelion (a pernicious weed by human reasoning) posing as a daisy, but such duplicitous deceit is beyond the pale of this inquiry, and we shall concentrate our attention on how it is that the apparent daisy posed as a tulip.
Now, our study does not actually pertain to flowering botanicals. This is a theological study that is precipitated by the fact that a particular theological perspective (identified as Calvinism) has portrayed its distinctive epistemological tenets in the acrostic form of the word "TULIP." From the Council of Dort (1619) onwards the theological followers of the reformer, John Calvin (1509-1564) have often formulated their position in five (5) points, and the petals of the Calvinistic "TULIP" are traditionally represented as:
T otal depravity
U nconditional election
L imited atonement
I rresistible grace
P erseverance of the saints
The underlying presuppositional root and stem of this system of thought is that God is absolutely "sovereign" in His control of the created order that He has created, and that such "sovereignty" does not allow for any freedom of the human creature which would allow man's responsibility for freedom of choice to provide a condition or contingency on God's "sovereign" action. There is obviously a legitimacy in the concern to safeguard the recognition that the divine actions of the Creator God are not dependent upon the actions of the creature, man, in which case man would be in control of God, based on a humanistic premise of the autonomous "sovereignty" of humanity. The problem with the traditional Calvinistic perspective is that they have often emphasized the "sovereignty" of God to the extent that they have denied the responsibility (response-ability) of man in their "TULIP" theology.
Calvinists have sometimes caricatured Arminian theology, based on the teaching of Jacobus Arminius (1560-1609), as represented by a "daisy" rather than a "tulip". Their intent in so representing Arminianism as a "daisy" theology has been to imply that Arminian theology has no security in the "sovereign" action of God's love, so the adherents of Arminian theology are insecurely picking the petals off of the daisy one at a time, saying, "He loves me. He loves me not," never finding assurance of God's action or of a relationship with God in Jesus Christ. Let it be noted that flower aficionados and theologians are notorious for their misrepresentation of varieties other than their own!
Dare we suggest, in light of this, that the proponents of "TULIP" theology (the Calvinists) are actually advocates of a "DAISY" theology that has always tried to project itself as a "TULIP" theology? Carefully observe that the five points of Calvinistic theology can be more precisely represented in the acrostic form of the word "DAISY":
D epraved inability of human function
A rbitrary selection of the divinely favored
I nequitable limitation of Christ's redemption
S ystemic coercion of the predetermined
Y oked confinement of Christian believers
This is the "DAISY" that often poses as a "TULIP."
It is hereby proposed that there is a more legitimate "TULIP" theology that maintains the balanced symmetry of a Biblical perspective of the relationship between God and man, recognizing both the autonomous sovereignty of God and the receptive responsibility of man. Such theological understanding might be formulated in this "TULIP" form:
T otality of mankind are spiritually depraved in their fallen spiritual condition as a consequence of Adam's sin.
U nrequited action of God's grace has acted to redeem and restore mankind through Jesus Christ without express or implied contingency of such divine action.
L imitlessness of God's redemptive and restorative action in Jesus Christ makes His work universally available and applicable to all mankind.
I ndividual response of receptivity of faith allows God's grace action to be personally efficacious in the new spiritual creation of the Christian.
P reservation of the Christian in this relationship is divinely enacted in accord with the perseverance of faithful receptivity of God's grace action in a dynamic continuum unto eternity.
May we always remember that such acrostic representations are but man-made attempts to organize and explain the revelation of God in His Son, Jesus Christ. Our faith is not in such theological organization of thought, but in the living Lord Jesus, and the differing formulations of flowering thought should never be made "tests of faith" that jeopardize the unity that we have in Christ.
It would not be difficult to conclude that theologians who ponder such leaves of thought are but "blooming idiots" or "petal pushers" who fallaciously perceive that ultimate meaning is to be found in such "flower power." Though precision of theological explanation is indeed a worthy calling, the need of the hour, for both theologians and Christians in general, is to "wake up and smell the roses" to allow God by His grace to manifest the "fragrance of the knowledge of Christ in every place" (II Cor. 2:14). That "fragrance" will be evidenced in "love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and godly control of the self" (Gal. 5:22,23).
Instead of dissecting the petals of the DAISY or the TULIP, perhaps there is a greater need to "consider the lilies, how they neither toil nor spin" (Matt. 6:28), but are receptive to and rely upon the provision of God's grace.
copyright 2001 James A. Fowler
http://www.christinyou.net/daisytul/daisy.html
THE DAISY THAT POSED AS A TULIP
by James A. Fowler
This is a tale full of charade and chicanery. It is the story of the daisy that posed as a tulip. One might be inclined to conclude that a daisy that posed as a tulip would by definition be a poesy, but despite the fact that this daisy has engaged in much posing and posturing, it remains a dusey of a disingenuous daisy. Some have suspected that the daisy was actually a dandelion (a pernicious weed by human reasoning) posing as a daisy, but such duplicitous deceit is beyond the pale of this inquiry, and we shall concentrate our attention on how it is that the apparent daisy posed as a tulip.
Now, our study does not actually pertain to flowering botanicals. This is a theological study that is precipitated by the fact that a particular theological perspective (identified as Calvinism) has portrayed its distinctive epistemological tenets in the acrostic form of the word "TULIP." From the Council of Dort (1619) onwards the theological followers of the reformer, John Calvin (1509-1564) have often formulated their position in five (5) points, and the petals of the Calvinistic "TULIP" are traditionally represented as:
T otal depravity
U nconditional election
L imited atonement
I rresistible grace
P erseverance of the saints
The underlying presuppositional root and stem of this system of thought is that God is absolutely "sovereign" in His control of the created order that He has created, and that such "sovereignty" does not allow for any freedom of the human creature which would allow man's responsibility for freedom of choice to provide a condition or contingency on God's "sovereign" action. There is obviously a legitimacy in the concern to safeguard the recognition that the divine actions of the Creator God are not dependent upon the actions of the creature, man, in which case man would be in control of God, based on a humanistic premise of the autonomous "sovereignty" of humanity. The problem with the traditional Calvinistic perspective is that they have often emphasized the "sovereignty" of God to the extent that they have denied the responsibility (response-ability) of man in their "TULIP" theology.
Calvinists have sometimes caricatured Arminian theology, based on the teaching of Jacobus Arminius (1560-1609), as represented by a "daisy" rather than a "tulip". Their intent in so representing Arminianism as a "daisy" theology has been to imply that Arminian theology has no security in the "sovereign" action of God's love, so the adherents of Arminian theology are insecurely picking the petals off of the daisy one at a time, saying, "He loves me. He loves me not," never finding assurance of God's action or of a relationship with God in Jesus Christ. Let it be noted that flower aficionados and theologians are notorious for their misrepresentation of varieties other than their own!
Dare we suggest, in light of this, that the proponents of "TULIP" theology (the Calvinists) are actually advocates of a "DAISY" theology that has always tried to project itself as a "TULIP" theology? Carefully observe that the five points of Calvinistic theology can be more precisely represented in the acrostic form of the word "DAISY":
D epraved inability of human function
A rbitrary selection of the divinely favored
I nequitable limitation of Christ's redemption
S ystemic coercion of the predetermined
Y oked confinement of Christian believers
This is the "DAISY" that often poses as a "TULIP."
It is hereby proposed that there is a more legitimate "TULIP" theology that maintains the balanced symmetry of a Biblical perspective of the relationship between God and man, recognizing both the autonomous sovereignty of God and the receptive responsibility of man. Such theological understanding might be formulated in this "TULIP" form:
T otality of mankind are spiritually depraved in their fallen spiritual condition as a consequence of Adam's sin.
U nrequited action of God's grace has acted to redeem and restore mankind through Jesus Christ without express or implied contingency of such divine action.
L imitlessness of God's redemptive and restorative action in Jesus Christ makes His work universally available and applicable to all mankind.
I ndividual response of receptivity of faith allows God's grace action to be personally efficacious in the new spiritual creation of the Christian.
P reservation of the Christian in this relationship is divinely enacted in accord with the perseverance of faithful receptivity of God's grace action in a dynamic continuum unto eternity.
May we always remember that such acrostic representations are but man-made attempts to organize and explain the revelation of God in His Son, Jesus Christ. Our faith is not in such theological organization of thought, but in the living Lord Jesus, and the differing formulations of flowering thought should never be made "tests of faith" that jeopardize the unity that we have in Christ.
It would not be difficult to conclude that theologians who ponder such leaves of thought are but "blooming idiots" or "petal pushers" who fallaciously perceive that ultimate meaning is to be found in such "flower power." Though precision of theological explanation is indeed a worthy calling, the need of the hour, for both theologians and Christians in general, is to "wake up and smell the roses" to allow God by His grace to manifest the "fragrance of the knowledge of Christ in every place" (II Cor. 2:14). That "fragrance" will be evidenced in "love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and godly control of the self" (Gal. 5:22,23).
Instead of dissecting the petals of the DAISY or the TULIP, perhaps there is a greater need to "consider the lilies, how they neither toil nor spin" (Matt. 6:28), but are receptive to and rely upon the provision of God's grace.
copyright 2001 James A. Fowler
http://www.christinyou.net/daisytul/daisy.html
7/11/2008
To Everything There is a Season....
When I was twelve, I got my dream job at Blue Hill Riding Academy (Quincy, MA) by "bribing" the stable manager with a bag of potato chips. This is how it transpired:
After paying $2 for my weekly riding lesson/trail ride, I would hang out at the barn for a few hours until my parents came back to pick me up. I helped with clean up, swept the barn floor, etc. I also bridled the horses and led them out of the barn for paying riders to mount, as this was a rental stable with about 70 horses. Weekends were very busy. Sometimes there were not enough lead riders to accompany the groups. By necessity some of us younger kids who could ride a little would be sent out to bring up the rear or take a beginner on a lead. I had not had a turn at this and was yearning for a chance to prove myself capable. I had already proven myself capable in the manure-moving department. The older barn workers scoffed that a skinny little girl like me could do the job. Where there’s a will, there’s a way! I was horse crazy. I loved the fragrance of a horse barn and enjoyed shoveling manure into a wheelbarrow for the stronger boys to push up a gang-plank to a waiting dump truck below. I especially enjoyed sweeping the cement floor with a push broom and was told I did a better job than any of the other kids. Most were lazy and disliked the work but did it for the free horseback riding and lessons in exchange.
On this particular afternoon it was so busy and the group about to depart so large that another “side rider” was needed for safety but was not to be found. Shy as I was, I finally spoke up to volunteer. “No!” was the short and snappy answer, as Donnie, the weekend manager, looked around for someone bigger and more experienced. Then he asked if he could have some of my potato chips, as he had not had time for lunch. So I offered him the whole bag if I could go out with the group. He was famished so grabbed the chips and said, “Ride Rex then....and keep a close eye on that little girl on Sandy.” I was ecstatic!
This was the beginning of several satisfying and delightful years working at the barn. Besides feeding and grooming horses, cleaning tack, and the hard work of mucking out stalls and sweeping floors, I would ride up to six hours a day taking out groups. I was such a horse crazy fanatic that I would be furious if my parents did not take me to the barn every single day after school and all day on weekends and holidays. They wanted me to become more “well rounded” with my interests but I was of a one-track mind. I remember walking the three or four miles to the barn when my parents could not drive me. My father tried to interest me in his hobby of sailboat racing, but I did not like the cold ocean spray and the brisk east wind that filled the sail. I whined a lot at the Yacht Club while most kids enjoyed swimming off the floats, fishing, and sailing. Dad took a picture of my classic pout while I fumed about not being at the horse barn on a sweltering summer’s day.
I never really grew out of my love for horses, though I became less fanatical and easier to get along with in my later teens and beyond. It would be many years later when my dream of a horse in my own back yard would come true. It would have to wait for Indiana and my 30th birthday.
Fast forward to 2008. These days I seek the LORD about returning to my roots....the yearning of my youth, and applying for a job as a stable hand at Culver Academies. Can I do it at my age (late fifties)? I watched the stable girls clean up the barn the other day. They were younger than me, but I would like to think I could outwork them. I had a reputation for reliability in my younger years. Many hands make light work, so hopefully it would not be too hard. I think I would love to do this. It would be good exercise and complement my goal of physical fitness in order to hike the Israeli hills someday.
My husband laughs at my second-childhood ambitions. I will have to prove to him that I have the tenacity for toil on the home front first.
I like to reminisce about 1964 and the best times of my life at Blue Hill Riding Academy. It was a very good year...the year of Tandakiya. I had a dream about Tandi the other night. I saw him again, and he looked exactly the same. Is he waiting for me in horse heaven? He and I were both about 14 in 1964. Oh, to be fourteen forever with the wisdom of years!!
Is this the season to try to recapture my youth? Should I join the Culver horsemanship team and contribute something toward the hard work and dedication that make it possible for other horse-crazy kids to realize their dreams?
I will ponder this.
7/04/2008
Random Thoughts
Today is my first anniversary of blogging. I started out with an article about Tandi, my favorite horse of all time. Today I enjoyed riding my golden Haflinger mare, Misty. It is a beautiful day...and I very much enjoyed the trail ride in my own back yard. We observed squirrels, chipmunks, and a baby northern oriole that we almost stepped on as it scurried across the trail under it’s mother’s watchful eye. I remarked to the mother bird that I know the feeling....watching over loved ones and hoping they will be safe while learning to fly. Crows were eating the blueberries that are ripe and delicious in my woods. These crows are huge. I actually like crows. They are very intelligent birds. Some people make pets out of them. Crows remind me of Uncle Leo’s cottage on Cape Cod where I enjoyed happy childhood summers.
I am still at peace. It is awesome to feel this relaxed. Very unusual for me. This is the peace that passes all understanding. I am “going at Godspeed” and I like the pace. It is elusive because I tend to fret and get anxious about things. I do not know exactly why I am experiencing an enduring peace this time, but I am grateful to the LORD and do not want to quench the Spirit and lose this amazing feeling. So I will not be attending the fireworks at Culver tonight. “When in doubt, throw it out” is my philosophy. I do not know if it is okay to watch fireworks on Sabbath. Here is the FFOZ position (Brian R):
As meticulously observant as these people are, I am surprised that they would take this position. To derive benefit from a fireworks display, to enjoy what is sinful to set off yourself, seems hypocritical. It is not clear exactly what the Torah means by “do not kindle a fire on the Sabbath day.” Some say it means an industrial fire as needed for work, some say it means a ceremonial fire like the pagans with their bonfires, etc., some say it extends to prohibitions against driving on Sabbath because of the spark plugs in the internal combustion engine.
I find the candle lighting ceremony to welcome “the sabbath queen” 18 minutes before sundown a compromise with paganism and "looking for a loophole" regarding the “no ceremonial fires” prohibition. I choose rather to welcome Sabbath with a hand-picked flower on the table....just a simple daisy usually....a memento of God’s glorious Creation that we are remembering when we honor the Sabbath day....for in six days God created the heavens and the earth.
Another blog commentary at FFOZ was disturbing. This one was written by Boaz. He talked disparagingly about public brawls over doctrine and silly disputes. He says Messiah is dishonored through the “culture of confrontations.”
I seem to remember reading of Yeshua engaging in confrontations with the Pharisees on more than one occasion. Didn’t the apostles urge us to earnestly contend for the faith, be vigilant about discerning error and false doctrine, etc? I have learned my lesson about commenting on the FFOZ blogs, however. Comments are screened and edited....
Meanwhile, at Dan’s forum, Johanna posted an encouraging word. Yes, many of us just need to fellowship with one another once in a while. Chit-chat has its place and benefits. I hope others will join the conversation at Torahtimes. This is a forum that encourages participation, disagreements, and free speech. Iron sharpens iron. Even discussing heresy can result in clarification of the apologetics necessary to refute it. A good example of that is evident at the Jerusalem Council forum, where some recent gnostic cult doctrine postings were refuted.
Tomorrow I plan to go to Culver early in the morning and watch Austin’s camp activities before signing him out for a few hours in the late afternoon. I will take my Bible, notebook, and Dan’s translation project and study Torah by the babbling brook or by the lakeshore. I asked Pat if he would go with me. He was reluctant. So I suggested he bring his boat and go fishing out on Lake Maxinkuckee. I would go for a boat ride and then he could drop me off at the town beach and I could walk the trail back over to the Academies. I successfully enticed him saying, “If you wouldn’t mind hanging out in your boat all day...” He responded with, “There’s worse things....” I laughed.
So after I watch Austin practice his drum and bugle marching band (he plays a baritone/euphonium) play golf, swim, etc., Pat will take him fishing on the boat while I enjoy the town park beach and swings. I love swings. I have one in my own woods that I enjoy. I will also enjoy visiting the Academy stables and watching the horses. I am so in love with this place, especially in Summer. I wonder why I was not so enamored with it when I lived in Culver 30 years ago. Maybe because we only had a winter rental (a “mansion” right on the Lake) and I never got to experience summers in Culver. If I had it to do over, I would have bought a house in Culver instead of Judson, got a job at the Academies, sent my kids to school here, and enjoyed the horses, sailboats, etc. My dad would have loved visiting us in Culver, as he was a sailboat enthusiast. The LORD led us to Culver in 1977-78, and I did not realize or appreciate it at the time. With age comes wisdom; we make so many mistakes in our egocentric youth. At the time, I thought the Academy kids were nerdy and the small town definitely uncool. Now I appreciate Culver’s character building philosophy.....and the town has grown and developed to become VERY cool!
I took a walk at the Academies recently and plucked a daisy that was growing out of the seawall. It trembled in my hand. It had life within it. I thought of a poem I learned in Junior High...Flower in the Crannied Wall...by Alfred, Lord Tennyson.
This is a poem worth pondering!
After I picked the daisy, I noticed a park bench nearby. There was an engraving on it:
I am pondering this also. I think of a favorite song by Tom Rush....The Circle Game.
[lyrics by Joni Mitchell]
If I end up with a sunset career at Culver, it will be "full circle." Much to consider on Sabbath there.
This blog post has drifted all over the place. This is how I write because this is how I think. I want to be a writer someday when I grow up....but for now I will try to therapeutically express whatever is on my mind at my personal blog until something worth publishing starts flowing out of me hopefully (by God’s grace). But I think that will only happen when my friend and wordsmith collaborator returns to Biblical faith to strengthen me and get the creative juices flowing. Tzuri and Tandi need to be in tandem, inspiring one another....writing free-verse Biblical apologetics with impact!
I can only dream.
I am still at peace. It is awesome to feel this relaxed. Very unusual for me. This is the peace that passes all understanding. I am “going at Godspeed” and I like the pace. It is elusive because I tend to fret and get anxious about things. I do not know exactly why I am experiencing an enduring peace this time, but I am grateful to the LORD and do not want to quench the Spirit and lose this amazing feeling. So I will not be attending the fireworks at Culver tonight. “When in doubt, throw it out” is my philosophy. I do not know if it is okay to watch fireworks on Sabbath. Here is the FFOZ position (Brian R):
First, as seen by the precedence set by the Torah, the Shabbat takes priority over all mundane activities. Therefore we should be in our homes or congregations welcoming in the Sabbath instead of welcoming in the 4th. Also, Shabbat festivities should not be minimized or hurried so as to view a fireworks display from one's front lawn or the like (see Isaiah 58:13-14). However, part of Shabbat is spending time with one's family. Therefore, if one has completely welcomed in the Shabbat in a manner befitting the holy day and one is able to observe fireworks from a distance then he is permitted to watch the spectacle. Yet, in light of Exodus 35:3, "You shall kindle no fire in all your dwelling places on the Sabbath day," one is forbidden to participate by lighting, setting the fireworks up, or the like. Watching the colorful array is, however, perfectly permissible.
As meticulously observant as these people are, I am surprised that they would take this position. To derive benefit from a fireworks display, to enjoy what is sinful to set off yourself, seems hypocritical. It is not clear exactly what the Torah means by “do not kindle a fire on the Sabbath day.” Some say it means an industrial fire as needed for work, some say it means a ceremonial fire like the pagans with their bonfires, etc., some say it extends to prohibitions against driving on Sabbath because of the spark plugs in the internal combustion engine.
I find the candle lighting ceremony to welcome “the sabbath queen” 18 minutes before sundown a compromise with paganism and "looking for a loophole" regarding the “no ceremonial fires” prohibition. I choose rather to welcome Sabbath with a hand-picked flower on the table....just a simple daisy usually....a memento of God’s glorious Creation that we are remembering when we honor the Sabbath day....for in six days God created the heavens and the earth.
Another blog commentary at FFOZ was disturbing. This one was written by Boaz. He talked disparagingly about public brawls over doctrine and silly disputes. He says Messiah is dishonored through the “culture of confrontations.”
I seem to remember reading of Yeshua engaging in confrontations with the Pharisees on more than one occasion. Didn’t the apostles urge us to earnestly contend for the faith, be vigilant about discerning error and false doctrine, etc? I have learned my lesson about commenting on the FFOZ blogs, however. Comments are screened and edited....
Meanwhile, at Dan’s forum, Johanna posted an encouraging word. Yes, many of us just need to fellowship with one another once in a while. Chit-chat has its place and benefits. I hope others will join the conversation at Torahtimes. This is a forum that encourages participation, disagreements, and free speech. Iron sharpens iron. Even discussing heresy can result in clarification of the apologetics necessary to refute it. A good example of that is evident at the Jerusalem Council forum, where some recent gnostic cult doctrine postings were refuted.
Tomorrow I plan to go to Culver early in the morning and watch Austin’s camp activities before signing him out for a few hours in the late afternoon. I will take my Bible, notebook, and Dan’s translation project and study Torah by the babbling brook or by the lakeshore. I asked Pat if he would go with me. He was reluctant. So I suggested he bring his boat and go fishing out on Lake Maxinkuckee. I would go for a boat ride and then he could drop me off at the town beach and I could walk the trail back over to the Academies. I successfully enticed him saying, “If you wouldn’t mind hanging out in your boat all day...” He responded with, “There’s worse things....” I laughed.
So after I watch Austin practice his drum and bugle marching band (he plays a baritone/euphonium) play golf, swim, etc., Pat will take him fishing on the boat while I enjoy the town park beach and swings. I love swings. I have one in my own woods that I enjoy. I will also enjoy visiting the Academy stables and watching the horses. I am so in love with this place, especially in Summer. I wonder why I was not so enamored with it when I lived in Culver 30 years ago. Maybe because we only had a winter rental (a “mansion” right on the Lake) and I never got to experience summers in Culver. If I had it to do over, I would have bought a house in Culver instead of Judson, got a job at the Academies, sent my kids to school here, and enjoyed the horses, sailboats, etc. My dad would have loved visiting us in Culver, as he was a sailboat enthusiast. The LORD led us to Culver in 1977-78, and I did not realize or appreciate it at the time. With age comes wisdom; we make so many mistakes in our egocentric youth. At the time, I thought the Academy kids were nerdy and the small town definitely uncool. Now I appreciate Culver’s character building philosophy.....and the town has grown and developed to become VERY cool!
I took a walk at the Academies recently and plucked a daisy that was growing out of the seawall. It trembled in my hand. It had life within it. I thought of a poem I learned in Junior High...Flower in the Crannied Wall...by Alfred, Lord Tennyson.
FLOWER in the crannied wall,
I pluck you out of the crannies;
Hold you here, root and all, in my hand,
Little flower—but if I could understand
What you are, root and all, and all in all,
I should know what God and man is.
This is a poem worth pondering!
After I picked the daisy, I noticed a park bench nearby. There was an engraving on it:
To everything there is a season....turn....turn....turn
I am pondering this also. I think of a favorite song by Tom Rush....The Circle Game.
Yesterday, a child came out to wonder
Caught a dragonfly inside a jar
Fearful when the sky was full of thunder
And tearful at the falling of a star.....
And the seasons they go round and round
Painted ponies go up and down
We're captive on the carousel of time
We can't return, we can only look behind
From where we came
And go round and round and round
In the circle game.
[lyrics by Joni Mitchell]
If I end up with a sunset career at Culver, it will be "full circle." Much to consider on Sabbath there.
This blog post has drifted all over the place. This is how I write because this is how I think. I want to be a writer someday when I grow up....but for now I will try to therapeutically express whatever is on my mind at my personal blog until something worth publishing starts flowing out of me hopefully (by God’s grace). But I think that will only happen when my friend and wordsmith collaborator returns to Biblical faith to strengthen me and get the creative juices flowing. Tzuri and Tandi need to be in tandem, inspiring one another....writing free-verse Biblical apologetics with impact!
I can only dream.
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