Chariots of Fire and Work

In one of my all time favorite movies, Eric Liddell was debating about whether to continue running or go to the overseas mission in China. His counselors advised him:

"run in God's name and let the world stand back in wonder."

Of course, there is the famous quote where Liddell is trying to convince his sister that he should compete in races,

"But I've got a lot of running to do first. Jennie... Jennie... you've got to understand. I believe that God made me for a purpose... for China. But He also made me fast, and when I run, I feel His pleasure.... To win is to honor Him."

John Carter of Mars and Vocation

In the Warlord of Mars, Edgar Rice Burroughs describes pride in vocation in this way:

If I sometimes seem to take too great pride in my fighting ability, it must be remembered that fighting is my vocation. If your vocation be shoeing horses, or painting pictures, and you can do one or the other better than your fellows, then you are a fool if you are not proud of your ability. And so I am very proud that upon two planets no greater fighter has evet lived than John Carter, Prince of Helium.

p. 551, The Martian Tales Trilogy by Edgar Rice Burroughs. (Barnes and Noble)

John Carter was bestowed this fighting skill by being born on earth and living on Mars. Since he was used to the heavier gravity and thinner atmosphere of Earth, he was naturally quicker and stronger than any three martians. I think Burroughs is indicating a false pride here. Although, I am not positive. However, we are the same way. We have success in work, but God gave us our gifts, created the circumstances, and guided us. Do we have room for boasting? Or rather shall we boast only in Christ?

APTAT

I was listening to a John Piper MP3 on vacation. He has a 5 step Acronym to help people to walk by the spirit: APTAT

Admit (Acknowledge).
Prayer
Trust
Act
Thanksgiving

This is not the link I heard, but it describes the process except he said "Admit" and not "acknowledge" in the talk I heard.

http://www.desiringgod.org/ResourceLibrary/Sermons/ByDate/1981/286_Let_Us_Walk_by_the_Spirit/

School of Tyrannus (Acts 19)

I haven't really study the cell church movement or the Emerging church movement. Both groups stress good works in the community and meeting non-Christians where they live. This is very good. However, these movements seem to downplay teaching and doctrine. The model of forming small groups, which reach out, grow and split into other small groups is a fine model. The weakness of this strategy is that if the small groups grow quickly, these leaders have very minimal training in doctrine. If we look at Paul's methodology, we read at least at one point, he stayed put and taught theology for over two years to disciples in Ephesus. Paul wrote Romans and Ephesians. These letters are not user friendly. The training of these leaders need to be addressed. We must guard the deposit of faith and pass it on.

Acts 19:8-10 (ESV)
8And he [Paul] entered the synagogue and for three months spoke boldly, reasoning and persuading them about the kingdom of God. 9But when some became stubborn and continued in unbelief, speaking evil of the Way before the congregation, he withdrew from them and took the disciples with him, reasoning daily in the hall of Tyrannus.[c] 10This continued for two years, so that all the residents of Asia heard the word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks. (brackets mine)

Was Jesus a Carpenter

At a Promise Keepers (Des Moines 2006) the organizers ran a film clip. In the film I heard it argued that Jesus did not grow up as a carpenter. The assertion is that he was not a carpenter, but was trained from a young age as a Rabbi. They asserted that someone who was called "Rabbi" and who taught in the manner as Jesus did, had to be a Rabbi. Promising boys were sent to Rabbinic school at a young age. Therefore, Jesus was trained as a Rabbi and could not be a carpenter. It is a quaint concept, we are told, to think a simple carpenter confounded the spiritual leaders of the age, but it simply wasn't so. A rabbi confounded other rabbis.

I haven't studied the Jewish custom of someone being addressed as Rabbi. I don't know if it can be a term like how we use "Pastor" today to refer to seminary graduates and self-taught teachers. However, I do think two passages contradict the theory that Jesus was a "trained" rabbi and not a carpenter.

Mark 6:2-3

And on the Sabbbath he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were astonished, saying, "Where did ths man get these things? What is the wisdom given to him? How are such might works done by his hands? Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? And are not his sisters here with us?

Notice that menial labor is not being denigrated, but rather the people of the audience were saying that they know Jesus. He was not trained as a Rabbi. We know him. He was a carpenter. He is not special. Why should we pay attention to him?

If he went to rabbinical school the audience would know where he has gotten his wisdom. If he was trained by a great Rabbi, they would have treated him with more respect.

John 7:14=15 (ESV)

14About the middle of the feast Jesus went up into the temple and began teaching. 15The Jews therefore marveled, saying, "How is it that this man has learning, when he has never studied?

Again, people who knew the Rabbinical schools knew that Jesus did not go to Rabbinical schools. He did not have formal training. I don't know how much clearer scripture can get on this issue.

So in conclusion, what do we make of this? The teaching that Jesus was not a carpenter, but a Rabbi seems to be prevalent among the emergant churches. However, I would believe writers who lived with Jesus before I would believe a strange little guy on a video telling me he researched Jewish culture for years and assuring that knows what he is talking about.

Post script: Nooma produced the Video and Rob Bell was teaching the false doctrine in the video.

In His Name.

G. K. Chesterton and Church

G. K. Chesterton is quoted,
"We do not want, as the newspapers say, a church that will move with the world. We want a church that will move the world."

Isaiah: Work in Eternity

Isaiah65

17"For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth;
And the former things will not be remembered or come to mind.
18"But be glad and rejoice forever in what I create;
For behold, I create Jerusalem for rejoicing
And her people for gladness.
19"I will also rejoice in Jerusalem and be glad in My people;
And there will no longer be heard in her
The voice of weeping and the sound of crying.
20"No longer will there be in it an infant who lives but a few days,
Or an old man who does not live out his days;
For the youth will die at the age of one hundred
And the one who does not reach the age of one hundred
Will be thought accursed.
21"They will build houses and inhabit them;
They will also plant vineyards and eat their fruit.
22"They will not build and another inhabit,
They will not plant and another eat;
For as the lifetime of a tree, so will be the days of My people,
And My chosen ones will wear out the work of their hands.
23"They will not labor in vain,
Or bear children for calamity;
For they are the offspring of those blessed by the LORD,
And their descendants with them.
NASB

Work in heaven. Interesting concept. Would anything be more enjoyable is that one will work with great efficacy and be able to enjoy the work of our hands. Without taxes or entropy.

Psalm 78 -- Led with skillful hands

Greg Gilbaugh preaching at North Liberty Church April 22nd, 2007 referenced this passage:

70 He chose David his servant
and took him from the sheep pens;

71 from tending the sheep he brought him
to be the shepherd of his people Jacob,
of Israel his inheritance.

72 And David shepherded them with integrity of heart;
with skillful hands he led them.

A NetBible (www.bible.org) footnotes 98 for Psalms 78 reads that the literal translation is:

98 tn Heb “and with the understanding of his hands he led them.”

From "How the Irish Save Civilization"

Caelum non animum mutant qui trans mare current

"They change their sky but not their soul those who cross the ocean." Horace

p. 196. Thomas Cahill

How the Irish Saved Civilization

Funeral

I attended two funerals lately. Both "deceased" were strong Christians. One funeral, the preacher stressed what an interesting and diverse life this 105-year-old woman lived. The second funeral stressed that although she died young (40 years) she will be missed by many.

The first funeral, the pastor didn't want to explain the gospel. The second funeral stressed the impact this woman had other people. Neither funeral preached the Gospel directly. I understand their reticence. It was a time of mourning.

However, at my funeral, I encourage any speaker at my funeral, please stress this is a man who loves God and here is how you can enter into a relationship with God. Please explain the gospel carefully. So at least in death, I can still reach my loved ones and may accomplish what I did so poorly in life: share the gospel. If people get angry with you, feel free to share this note with them.

God Work

In Psalm 24:5 David writes:

Because they do not regard the works of the Lord or the work of his hands, he will tear them down and build them up no more.

God wants people to regard his works and not regard their own. God is the boss of man, not man.

Trembles at my words

Isaiah 66:2 reads:

All these things my hand has made
and so all these things came to be, declares the Lord.
But this is the one to whom I will look:
he who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at my word.

I have no comments. God looks for this in a person, if you don't have this. Do a soul search. Piper just lists this verse to prove his point in The Pleasures of God

Why was Jesus a carpenter?

I was thinking about God as a worker. He created universe. He created because creating brought Him glory and it was His good pleasure. God enjoyed creating. God enjoys His works of creation. God enjoys work.

God chose to become incarnate in the family of a poor carpenter. Jesus was most likely trained to be a carpenter. God is omnipotent; He could have chose any profession and He chose carpentry. Why? Why did the profession of carpentry bring Him the most pleasure as a young man? Things to ponder.

Piper on Faith and Reason

John Piper spoke on the relationship of faith and reason at the Ligioner National Conference 2007. He spoke on 2 Corinthians 4:4-6.

In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake. For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

Our job is to present the gospel and the hope that is within us. To communicate the beauty of Christ to the unbeliever. It is God's responsibility to rip the veil over the unbelievers' hearts, to shine the light of the glory of God in the face of Christ in their hearts so that they may believe.

Conversion has its result the love of Christ emanating from the believer.

David having a bad day

David was having a bad day. He couldn't go home to Israel because King Saul was trying to kill him. Philistines had rejected his services three days previous. He just journeyed three days to return to his base camp at Ziklag. He found out the Amalekites had raided his camp; they found the city of Ziklag burned to the ground; and they found out his wives and children were kidnapped. His protection job of protecting Ziklag had just burned up with his possessions. The people who had supported him were now talking about stoning him. He had no where to go. He had no family around, no friends, and no place to live. I Samuel 30 reads that he was greatly distessed. How should David respond? Did David run away from his problems?

The answer is a resounding no. The verse, I Samuel 30:6c reads, "But David strengthened himself in the Lord his God."

David then picked up the pieces of his army and chased after the band of Amalekites who took his family. David did not have a self pity party. He strengthened himself in the Lord his God and acted. Amazing.

G. K. Chesterton on Drinking

I heard this on "G. K. Chesterton" on EWTN. I thought this very good.

Drink because you are happy, but never because you are miserable. Never drink when you are wretched without it, or you will be like the grey-faced gin-drinker in the slum; but drink when you would be happy without it, and you will be like the laughing peasant of Italy. Never drink because you need it, for this is rational drinking, and the way to death and hell. But drink because you do not need it, for this is irrational drinking, and the ancient health of the world.

—G.K. Chesterton, Heretics (1905), in The Collected Works of G.K. Chesterton, Volume I (1986), p. 92

Buster and Maxine

My dog Buster, a Maltese, was put to sleep recently. I have also just read "Marley and Me" so I decided I have to write down at least one funny story.

My mother-in-law, Maxine, staid at our house occasionally. She slept downstairs. Buster used to sleep with us on our bed upstairs. When I awakened on a Saturday morning, Buster would follow me to the kitchen. However, when Maxine was staying downstairs, he would invariably stop at the top of the stairs. He would alternately look at me and then look downstairs. After a few moments, I would say, "Buster, go wake up Grandma!" Buster would rush downstairs at full tilt. I would then hear him running and sliding down the hall. I could easily imagine what happened: Buster jumping on top of Maxine and giving her Maltese kisses. The next thing I would hear, was Maxine making noises like she was bothered and started talking to Buster. I would be laughing while I made coffee.

Unless you think I was cruel to my mother-in-law, my wife said Maxine really enjoyed our Buster alarm clock.

May all our guests feel as welcome as Buster made my mother-in-law in our home.

Samurai saying

I was watching a special on Samurais on the history channel. One adage caught my ear, "After victory, tighten your helmet cords."

King David came to mind when I heard this. He staid home when it was time for kings to go to war. He felt he deserved a break. He was successful. He defeated his enemies. He trained his commanders. He went to his roof top to gaze over Jerusalem and admire his accomplishments, and noticed a bathing Bathseba. He fell, he lusted, he committed adultery, he lied, and he murdered. Although he received forgiveness from God, his family was forever affected by this transgression. After victory, tighten your helmet cords.

Lewis on Liberal Theology

Lewis comments on liberal theology.

All the theology of the liberal type involves at some point -- and often involves throughout--the claim that the real behaviour and purpose and teaching of Christ came very rapidly to be misunderstood and misrepresented by his followers, and he has been recovered or exhumed only by modern scholars. Now long before I became interested in theology I had met this kind of theory elsewhere. The tradition of Jowett still dominated the study of ancient philosophy when I was reading Greats. One was brought up to believe that the real meaning of Plato had been misunderstood by Aristotle and wildly travestied by the neo-Platonists, only to be recovered by the moderns. When recovered, it turned out (most fortunately) that Plato had really all along been an English Hegelian, rather like T. H. Green.

Fernseed and Elephants

And thus, the problem with the current trend of books that corrects our interpretation of Jesus sayings today. These authors distrust the gospel writers who lived with Christ or at least knew people who knew Christ personally. How can we trust them who do their reconstructions using modern interpretive methods, which may go out of date next year?

Samuel and Empty things

Samuel was addressing the nation Israel when he was annointing Saul as king:

And Samuel said to the people, "Do not be afraid; you have done all this evil. Yet do not turn aside from following the Lord, but serve the Lord with all your heart. And do not turn aside after empty things that cannot profit or deliver, for they are empty."

I Samuel 12:20-21 (ESB).

Anything that is not done for the Lord is an empty thing.