I'm Dreaming of a Stormy Christmas?

At this posting, a storm is raging here in Milledgeville. Rain is pouring like water through a sift, and the thunder is rolling in and shaking the house. Actually, it's kinda good to hear that sound again. Are there any other thunderstorm fans out there?

Happy Holidays!

Merry Christmas everyone!!! I love you all, and may God bless you as we near the start of 2006. Remember that Jesus is the reason for the season. In fact, He is the reason for our existence in the first place. I proclaim on this day (the celebration of the birth of the child and the giving of the Son) that Jesus Christ is Lord of all, and He is worthy of all of our worship, honor, and praise!

"For unto us a child is born and unto us a son is given..." Isaiah 9:6

The Micah Mandate

"He has shown you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God." Micah 6:8

Have you ever wanted to know what God's will is for your life? Well, Micah lays it out for you very clearly. Reflect on what it means to act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. Today, commit the Micah Mandate to memory.

Suggestions for Prayer: 1. Ask God to show you ways to put the Micah Mandate into practice. 2. Ask God to help you to act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with Him.

What I've Been Up To

This is a list of the things I've been doing since I got home yesterday.

• Played with Marcus.
• Went out to eat with my family.
• Worked on a sermon.
• Read some of Evidence That Demand's a Verdict.
• Went to work for my dad.
• Went grocery shopping with my mom.
• Laughed with my sisters.
• Helped my mom cook poppy seed chicken.
• Saw Taylor and Teddy at church last night.
• Spoke with Lance, Ben, Austin, Cameron, and Tonia on the phone (not all at once).
• Ate at Zaxby's (was told that Zaxby's should be in Texas next year).
• Played my piano.
• Read blogs.
• Updated my blog.

Well, that's enough for now. I've done even more than that, but it will take too long to list everything. Plus, I'm being called back into the kitchen to help my mom. Peace out!

Do You Have A Healthy Diet?

"Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. The tempter came to Him and said, 'If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.' Jesus answered, 'It is written: "Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God."'" Matthew 4:1-4 (NIV)

In this life we are going to face trials and temptations of many kinds, but we must endure until the end. Jesus was led to the desert to be tested. Do you sometimes feel like your life is in a "desert" without any water to soothe your thirst? Then perhaps you should heed the wisdom of Jesus, "Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God." If Jesus put so much emphasis on the Word of God, then we should do the same. Get involved in a Bible study. Attend Sunday School. Memorize Scripture. Read the Bible! I am constantly amazed at people who claim to be Christians and don't read the Word. There was even a girl in my seminary class this semester that admitted that she had never read the whole Bible. Astounding indeed! Many of the sermons I hear these days are lacking in Scriptural content, and people wonder why the Body of Christ appears to be sick in our present culture. Ephesians 6:17 tells us that the Word of God is the sword of the Spirit. We can do the kingdom of God no good unless we put God's Word into our hearts and put it into action. James tells us to be doers of the Word.

Suggestions for Prayer: 1. Pray that God will give you the desire to study His Word. 2. Pray that God will give you wisdom and understanding when you read His Word. 3. Pray that God will help you deal with temptations and resist Satan. 4. Pray for our pastors and those who preach the Word.

Children of God

"Yet to all who received Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God." John 1:12

Did you know that when you trust Jesus as Lord and Savior, you rightfully become children of God? That means that God becomes your Father, and there is no better father than God. He takes care of His children. He loves His children. 1 John 3:1 says, "How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!" Are you a child of God? Have you trusted your life to Christ?

Suggestions for Prayer: 1. Ask God to help you be an obedient child to His will. 2. Pray that God will help you to get along with your brothers and sisters in Christ. 3. Ask God to help you in understanding what true love is.

No Condemnation

"Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." Romans 8:1 (NIV)

Read that verse again. It says that now, for us that are in Christ, there is no condemnation. Jesus paid our price. He suffered the penalty. He died for our sins (for the Glory of God). What that means for us now is that when God looks at us, He doesn't see ugly sinner. What He sees is the precious blood of Jesus covering you, making you clean. This verse brings so much joy and peace. If you are in Christ, then you are eternally secure in His hands.

Suggestions for Prayer: 1. Thank Jesus for dying for you and your sins (for the Glory of God). 2. Thank God for His love.

For Narnia and For Aslan!

If you haven't seen The Chornicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe yet, go! What are you waiting for? Go right now! Okay, maybe you can't get to it right now, but do try to go soon. I saw it earlier, and it was absolutely fabulous. Wonderful movie! The film contained a little bit of everything: drama, action, adventure, love, humor, joy, sadness, etc. There were even a couple times during the movie that I almost wept. When they were talking about Edmund being a traitor, I realized that I was once a traitor; but praise be to God, Jesus Christ redeemed me from my condemnation. Just as Aslan took Edmund's place, Jesus took my place. He paid the penalty required by the Deep Magic and the Stone Table (the Law), and He died taking on the sins of the world. Just as Aslan came back to life because of the Deeper Magic, Jesus rose again by the power of God Almighty. Thank You, Jesus, my Lord and Savior, the Lion of the Tribe of Judah!

Texas Country Church

You might be in a Texas country church if …

1. The doors are never locked.
2. The Call to Worship is “Y’all come on in!”
3. People grumble about Noah letting coyotes on the Ark.
4. The Preacher says, “I’d like to ask Bubba to help take up the offering” and five guys stand up.
5. The restrooms are outside.
6. Opening day of deer hunting season is recognized as an official church holiday.
7. A member requests to be buried in his four-wheel drive truck because, “I ain’t ever been in a hole it couldn’t get me out of.”
8. In the annual stewardship drive there is at least one pledge of “two calves.”
9. Never in its entire 100-year history has one of its pastors had to buy any meat or vegetables.
10. When it rains, everybody’s smiling.
11. Prayers regarding the weather are a standard part of every worship service.
12. A singing group is known as the “OK Chorale.”
13. The church directory doesn’t have last names.
14. The pastor wears boots.
15. Four generations of one family sit together in worship every Sunday.
16. The only time people lock their cars in the parking lot is during the summer and then only so their neighbors can’t leave them a bag of squash.
17. There is no such thing as a “secret” sin.
18. Baptism is referred to as “branding.”
19. There is a special fund-raiser for a new septic tank.
20. Finding and returning lost sheep is not just a parable.
21. You miss worship one Sunday morning and by 2 O’clock that afternoon you have had a dozen calls inquiring about your health.
22. High notes on the organ sets dogs in the parking lot to howling.
23. People wonder when Jesus fed the 5,000 whether the two fish were bass or catfish.
24. People think “Rapture” is what happens when you lift something too heavy.
25. The cemetery is in such barren ground that people are buriedwith a sack of fertilizer to help them rise on Judgment Day.
26. It’s not heaven, but you can see heaven from there.
27. The final words of the benediction are, “Y’all come on back now, ya hear.”

Author Unknown

A Parable in the Key of ‘F’

Feeling footloose and frisky, a foolish fellow forced his father to fork over his fourth of the family farthings and flew far to a foreign field where he fast frittered his fathers fortune feasting foolishly with faithless friends. Fleeced by his fellows and folly, and facing famine he found himself a feed flinger in a filthy farm. Flushed and fairly famished he fain would have filled his frame with foraged food from farm fodder.

“My father’s flunkies fair far finer.” The frazzled fugitive forlornly fumbled. Frustrated and filled with forboding, he fled forthwith to his father. Falling to his father’s feet he forlornly fumbled, “Father, I have flunked and frugalessly forfeited family favor.” The fugitive’s, faultfinding brother frowned on fickle forgiveness, but the faithful father figure filled with fidelity, cried, “The fugitive is found. What forbids further festivities. Let the flags unfurl and the fanfares flare.” Father flagged a flunky who fetched a fatling from the flock and fixed a feast.

The moral of the story is: The father’s forgiveness formed a foundation for the fugitive’s future fortitude.

Author Unknown

I'll Be Home For Christmas

Well, finals are over (praise God!), the dorm is quiet, and I'm packing up to go home for three weeks. For those of you who don't know yet, I'm from Milledgeville, Georgia. I'll be driving for about 15 hours so please pray for traveling mercies. I think I'm going to go see The Chronicles of Narnia tonight, so my last night in Fort Worth for a while will be a fun one.

I'm looking forward to catching up with family and friends during my three week break. It's only a three week break (instead of four) because I'm taking an I-term class that starts on January 3rd. To all of my friends who are staying in the DFW area (or who already live here anyway), have a great time without me. Don't do anything I wouldn't do. Behave! And if you can't behave, be careful! Hahaha!!!

Punny

I was reading my friend Jacob's blog and came across a very humerous joke that he posted today. It's called Something Humorous on the Night Before my Last Final of the Semester to Keep Me Sane, and I think you should check it out.

Hace muy frio!

That's right, it is extremely cold outside! And I hear it's supposed to be 25 degrees tonight. All of the cars outside have icecicles hanging from them. The sidewalks and steps are slippery. All of the offices at school have been closed, and the last finals scheduled for today have been canceled and postponed to a later date and time.

I've been chatting with Kristen about squirrels in the cold. What do they do? I just saw one scampering across the lawn. Kristen suggested that they wrap their tails around themselves. What if I could do that? What if I were a wee little Bob with a bushy tail to wrap around myself when it gets cold. Oh, silly me!

It just started sleeting again. I'm glad I'm inside in my warm dorm room. I'm also glad they remembered to turn on the heat. Well, I guess that's all for now. Chill to the next episode!

Finals Week

It's that time again...time for finals. Studying is so much fun (not really). It's really just a matter of relearning what we have learned during the semester. By the way, I really don't like essay tests, but teachers sure do love them. I have good news and bad news, though. The good news is that I only have two finals. The bad news is that they are both on the same day. My first one, The Bible and Moral Issues, will be at 8am; and my second one, Philosophy of Religion, will commence at 1pm. I can't wait to be done! Please pray for me and my fellow students as we endure finals week.

Top 10 Recommended Reading

Of the 44+ books that I have read this year, I wanted to provide a list of the top ten that I recommend to others. The decisions were not easy, but here are the ten I chose.

1. The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe - C. S. Lewis
2. Cash: the Autobiography of Johnny Cash
3. Worship: Rediscovering the Missing Jewel - Ronald Allen and Gordon Borror
4. Love Your God With All Your Mind - J. P. Moreland
5. The Cost of Discipleship - Dietrich Bonhoeffer
6. The Five Love Languages - Gary Chapman
7. Foxe's Book of Martyrs
8. Animal Farm - George Orwell
9. The Death of Ivan Ilyich - Leo Tolstoy
10. Notes from Underground - Fyodor Dostoevsky

Don't Slap Each Other With Fish

Today I went to Hebrew class with Josh Slocum. I know going to Hebrew class doesn't sound like a whole lot of fun, but they were watching the VeggieTales Jonah movie. I've never seen that one before today, but I really enjoy VeggieTales. It was great to see the pirates who don't do anything! Sometimes school makes me want to be a pirate who doesn't do anything.

I had Dr. Klouda this past summer for Hebrew, and I think she remembered me because she asked me what I needed when she saw me. I simply asked her if I could join the class for the movie, and she was happy to let me stay.

I also saw some more of my friends in there like David, Suresh, Allen, and Graham.

Much To Be Thankful For

Well, yesterday was Thanksgiving, so I want to share some of the things that I am thankful for.

First and foremost, I am thankful to God for life and blessings. I'm thankful for His Son's sacrifice on the cross. I'm thankful for salvation. I'm thankful for the work of the Holy Spirit in my life. I'm thankful for God's Word, which is truth.

I'm thankful for my family who live back in Georgia. They have given me so much love and support throughout my twenty-four years on this planet. My sister, Amy, got engaged this past Tuesday night. I'm thankful that she has found someone who will love her, and that she can love.

I'm thankful for my friends. You've been there in the good times and the bad, the happy and the sad, etc. So many memories... I'm also thankful for those who have supported me while I've been in seminary. I charish your prayers and financial gifts.

Thanksgiving is such a wonderful time of the year, but it doesn't have to end. We should be continually giving thanks to God and to each other everyday throughout the year. What are you thankful for?

A Little Taste of Heaven

This past Sunday evening at Wedgwood Baptist Church, congregations from the surrounding area gathered together for the purpose of giving thanks and praising the Lord Jesus Christ. It was called the Thanksgiving Community Service, and it was wonderful! There were Baptists, Messianic Jews, Roman Catholics, Non-denominational people, Presbyterians, Assembly of God people, Christian Church people, and Methodists. There were probably some more but those are the ones I know about. It was a time when we could set aside our differeces and come together in the name of Christ. The stage was filled with people from different choirs leading us in worship. Voices sang to the heavens loud and clear. O how marvelous it will be in Heaven!

John-Paul Sartre said that Hell is other people. What he really meant by that is, "I'm alright until you come along." Nope. We can bring a little bit of heaven into other people's lives.

It's Not the Breakfast of Champions, But It Will Do

I have discovered my new favorite cereal. It's called Kellogg's Cran-Vanilla Crunch, and it is exquisitely tasteful. It makes a great late night meal (it's very rare that I actually eat breakfast). I thought I would pass that along to you because I highly recommend it.

Not Quite Spider-man

Pictures from the retreat of me doing the high ropes stuff.

Issues in Biblical Interpretation

One of the most complicated responsibilities of a minister is to communicate the appropriate interpretations of biblical passages that deal with issues such as slavery, war, and the roles of women, just to mention only some. Just ask any amount of persons in a given congregation and you will most likely get as many opinions on the question asked.

There are two problems that come to mind that can be found within the Christian Church. These two problems can be represented by two different groups of people.

In the first group, you have those that have not read or studied the Bible, and they do not particularly care what the Bible has to say. These people can never actually take the Christian standpoint on an issue because they really have not discovered for themselves what God has to say in His Word.

The second group quite possibly could be the more dangerous group. This group of people likes to pick and choose what they want to believe out of the Bible. They will completely disregard certain Scriptures in order to maintain their opinionated position on any given subject. This is also the same group of people who will not think twice about taking a Scripture verse or passage out of its God-breathed, God-given context.

The author of Slavery, Sabbath, War, and Women: Case Issues in Biblical Interpretation, William M. Swartley, states that there must be a “wrong or right” in interpreting the Bible. If there were no wrong methods of interpretation, then “the text itself would be only an object, a thing to be used by interpreters however they wish" (22). Again, these are people who fit into group two.

Swartley intends for his book to help students of the Bible to understand that “biblical interpretation…regards both the text and the method of interpretation to be important” (23). Of course, no one can come to the biblical text without and preconceptions whatsoever. All of us carry a certain amount of baggage. However, there are certain principles that the interpreter must keep in mind as he deals with a biblical text.

Swartley offers three critical principles to remember. These principles also guided him in working on his book. First, the biblical interpreter must seriously consider “the historical and cultural contexts of specific texts" (23). Second, he must acknowledge that Scripture has diversity, even within its overall unity. Third, he must allow Scripture to interpret Scripture, and not give priority to “specific statements which stand in tension either with [biblical] principles or with other specific texts on the subject" (23).

Swartley has chosen to deal with four popular but highly controversial issues within Christianity: slavery, Sabbath, war, and women. Each issue has its own chapter devoted to debating the issue at hand. In each chapter you will find arguments on each side of the interpretation of Scripture. For example, in the chapter dealing with the issue of slavery, he gives the argument for and the argument against the institution, along with the Scripture references that each side uses. The Sabbath chapter has three views. The war chapter tries to answer the question as to whether or not we should be pacifists. The chapter on women debates the relationship between man and woman, and the two sides are hierarchical and liberationist. This is one of the goals of the book: “to provide a descriptive statement of how the Bible has been interpreted differently on four separate issues” (24).

I feel that Swartley has done this well. Each argument was presented in an easy-to-follow format. Swartley also made excellent use of history and representatives for each side on an issue.

Swartley’s “primary goal in setting forth alternative positions on these four issues is to provide case illustrations that both show the necessity of careful biblical interpretation and raise methodological issues which hermeneutics must address” (24). By doing this, he has helped me to understand something about the difficulties in interpretation. Not everything is so cut and dry. The serious Bible student must seek wisdom from God. In fact, James instructs us concerning wisdom, “But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him” (James 1:5). What does this mean? It means that we should always seek wisdom from God when approaching His Word. We need revelation from the Holy Spirit. Swartley has further helped me to see how Scripture can be used and abused.

Another purpose that Swartley has in writing his book is this: “Because the Bible is used in such contradictory ways on these issues, the question of whether the Bible should be used at all for dealing with social issues must be addressed” (25). I am glad that he raises this question because I never would have thought about it. Should we even be using the Bible in this way? Is this even appropriate? Well, I believe that the Bible is our guidebook for life, and what God says must be followed. I believe that the Bible is authoritative for Christians. The problem comes in how people try to use (or abuse) that authority. Swartley has done an excellent job in providing examples in each argument.

Swartley has a desire for this book to help believers avoid the common mistakes made while interpreting Scripture. Since this book is primarily about hermeneutics, “this study will then propose a model of appropriate understandings for believers who desire to use the Bible as a significant resource for shaping values and forming convictions on social issues" (25). I have always disliked the institution of slavery, but after reading the chapter dealing with slavery, I now have a firmer conviction against it. I now have a stronger biblical foundation of why I do not like it, and I now have a better understanding of the opposing side’s argument (however wrong I believe it to be). Swartley’s model “is intended to help interpreters avoid common misuses of the Bible and to create conscious pre-understandings that will make study of the Bible fruitful, allowing it to encounter us with its message" (25). I am thankful for having read this book because it has reminded me that I do not judge the Bible, the Bible judges me.

Swartley also attempts “to translate this model of understandings into a hermeneutical method, consisting of three major components of responsibility: listen carefully from within the text, learn helpfully from behind the text, and live freely from in front of the text” (25). He has included with each chapter a discussion of the hermeneutical issues involved in each case study. For example, in his chapter on the Sabbath, Swartley offers four major and four minor hermeneutical observations and issues “inherent in this study” (91).

“Finally, [Swartley] present[s] a summary of hermeneutical learnings to serve both as an index and a systematic statement of the various hermeneutical insights gained from the study of these four case issues” (25). These learnings and insights can be found in chapter five and in the conclusion to the book. Some of these were review for me, while some of it was enlightening to me and has sharpened my Bible study skills. Swartley has sought to find the common hermeneutical principles that can be used in all four case issues that he presents and can be used in dealing with any social issue. Chapter five compares each issue in such a way.

Swartley has included some other wonder things in his book. First, he has included four appendices: “biblical interpretation in the life of the church” (235), “pacifist answers to new testament problem texts” (250), “interpretive commentary on marriage texts” (256), and “the wider use of the Bible: Ephesians as a model” (270). These appendices helped me to understand the background to some of the arguments presented in the book.

For the student who wishes to dig deeper into the subjects and discussions on hand, a fairly large section of notes has been included followed by one of the largest bibliographies I have come across in reading a book. Two other helpful tools included in the book are the index of scriptures and the index of persons. Suppose I wanted to see if there was any use of Amos 2:10, all I have to do is look and see if it is listed in the index (it is found on page 351 in the index), and then turn to the appropriately listed page number in the book. Or suppose I desired to look up a statement concerning Innocentius but I could not remember where to find it. Well, all I have to do is flip to the index of persons and find his name, and then I can turn to page 76 where the statement is found.

It has normally been the case when professors assign required books to be read that they are not an enjoyable experience. That was not the total case with book. There were times when I simply could not put it down because I wanted to finish reading an argument in the book. I also liked it because it was not particularly a difficult book to read, and, on top of that, it did not take that long to read.

As I mentioned earlier, I really liked the format of the book. It is user friendly and it is easy to find what I am looking for in a given chapter. In other words, the book is well organized.

For example, allow me to analyze the chapter dealing with slavery (chapter one). Swartley starts by giving me the argument for and the argument against slavery in summary statements made by John Henry Hopkins and Theodore Dwight Weld, representatives from each side respectively. He then proceeds to introduce to me the debaters that will contribute to one side of the argument: the pro-slavery cause. In the slavery chapter, seven men are briefly introduced to give me their background and qualifications for speaking to the issue of slaver in favor of it. Likewise, in the anti-slavery section, seven more men are introduced. Each side’s position is stated followed by theses concerning each position. Then a section is provided for rebuttal arguments. Finally, at the end of the chapter, Swartley gives his insights and commentary about the uses of the Bible in relation to the issue of slavery.
Since I like hearing debates, I found the setup of this book to be quite enjoyable. Swartley could have presented the information in a number of ways, but I am glad he chose the form of debate. By doing so, I went away with the feeling that each side was allowed to speak for themselves.

I particularly found some of his commentary sections to be quite helpful. For example, allow me to return once again to the slavery chapter. There you will find a discussion on the meaning of the word “literal”. Swartley states “the term ‘literal’ usually means the understanding of texts in a mechanical way” (59). For instance, when Isaiah talks about the trees of the forest clapping their hands, by this definition, they will literally grow arms and hands and will clap. However, Swartley goes on to write that the word “may be used in almost an opposite way, as it was in the time of the Reformation, to mean the text’s historical meaning, or the plain sense of the text” (59). Oftentimes, the plain sense of the text does not make plain sense. That is when you must interpret the given text in a different light. It has been my observation that trees do not clap their hands on a regular basis. It would be like a bunch of happy Ents (tree people) from The Lord of the Rings. One must realize that the Bible contains different genres of writing, including poetry, which often employs figurative language to get a message across. Discussions such as this one help me to understand the meanings of terms used. Since words often change meanings over time, this is important information to know when reading statements from people from a time far gone.
One thing that I did not like about the book is this: just when I was getting into an argument, it was time for it to come to an end. Ideally, each issue handled should have its own book devoted to it, but I think that would defeat the purpose for why Swartley wrote the book in the way that he did.

Swartley concludes his introduction to the book with these words, “Above all, I hope that this study will help every reader to a more aware and responsible use of the Bible in today’s world” (28). Well, he has helped me to me more aware of how I use Scripture regarding social issues that are around me today. At the writing of this, my world is affected by war and a massive natural disaster. This book has helped me in gathering insight on how to use to Bible properly in taking a stance based on the Word of God.

I would recommend this book to those who desire to gain a better understanding of the four controversial issues given in the book. I would also recommend it to any Christian who is serious about studying the Bible simply for the hermeneutical principles listed throughout the book. Churches all over the world would do well to teach the people how to properly interpret Scripture.

If we fail in doing so, then those who misuse Scripture will continue to grow in numbers. Scriptural ignorance will be even higher than it is already. The effects of group two, as presented earlier in this paper, will lead more and more people to disregard the Bible altogether and move into group one. God help us all to take Scripture more seriously. Not only that, but that He would help us in properly interpreting His Word. Perhaps He will use people like Swartley to help others take a more sober approach to the Bible.

Top 25 Most Influential Books (updated)

Well, here's the updated list for this year. In case you missed last year's list, just check the November '04 archive.

• To Follow Him - Mark Bailey
• The Five Love Languages - Gary Chapman
• The Mind of Christ - T. W. Hunt
• The Power of Love - David Jeremiah
• Knowing God - J. I. Packer
• Dangerous Wonder - Michael Yaconelli
• Orthodoxy - G. K. Chesterton
• The Case for Christ - Lee Strobel
• The Case for Faith - Lee Strobel
• Can Man Live Without God - Ravi Zacharias
• Jesus Among Other Gods - Ravi Zacharias
• Mere Christianity - C. S. Lewis
• Theologians of the Baptist Tradition - Timothy George & David Dockery
• Why I Am a Christian - Norman Geisler & Paul Hoffman
• Why I Believe - D. James Kennedy
• The Ten Things You Can't Say In America - Larry Elder
• Love Your God With All Your Mind - J. P. Moreland
• Worship: Rediscovering the Missing Jewel - Ronald Allen & Gordon Borror
• When Skeptics Ask - Norman Geisler & Ronald Brooks
• Give Me a Break - John Stossel
• Loving God - Charles Colson
• Foxe's Book of Martyrs
• Pilgrim's Progress - John Bunyan
• A Guide to Spiritual Success - Tony Evans
• The Cost of Discipleship - Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Love Your God With All Your Mind

J. P. Moreland has written a wonderful little book entitled Love Your God With All Your Mind: The Role of Reason in the Life of the Soul. He is a professor of philosophy at Talbot School of Theology, which is a department of Biola University in La Mirada, California. Moreland is one of the brilliant evangelical Christian thinkers of our time, and reading his book was well worth the effort and time spent.

Although there will be some summary presented in this paper, the overall purpose will be to point out some strengths and weaknesses found in each chapter. However, the first question that must be answered is, “Why did J. P. Moreland write this book in the first place?” He wrote the book because he realized that, for the most part, the Church has lost its ability to think. So, this book is his attempt to encourage believers to strengthen their minds for the purpose of loving and serving God better. The world needs for Christians to do so because as it stands now, the Church is looked at as just a bunch of religious non-thinkers.

In his first chapter, “How We Lost the Christian Mind and Why We Must Recover It”, Moreland identifies the problem that we face in our times. The Church has become anti-intellectual in its thinking. Moreland shows his feelings on the matter when he reacts to a letter he received from a woman who was encouraged by his lectures, “I was saddened to be reminded of how unusual it is for Christian people to be taught how to think carefully and deeply about what they believe and why they believe it” (20). Moreland has really done his homework in getting to the root of the problem and discovering why the Church has reached the low point that it presently is in. One example of this is how the definition of faith has changed to something that is seen as blind, rather than something that is reasonable. Moreland has done well in clearing up that misunderstanding. It is unfortunate that he was not allowed more space to develop a fuller presentation of how secularism has affected the Church.

Chapter two, “Sketching a Biblical Portrait of the Life of the Mind”, gives the Scriptural basis for using the mind in our faith and practice within Christianity. This chapter contains many references to Bible verses that are helpful in realizing the need to develop the mind. Moreland is powerful in contrasting the God of the Bible with the god of Islam or with the gods of the Greeks (44). Not only is diligent study of Scripture necessary, but also he points out that extrabiblical knowledge is important as well for the development of the Christian mind. Above and beyond giving arguments for why believers should be diligent in studying, he also counters some common arguments found within the Church against being intellectual. This is helpful in responding to those who would be resistant to higher learning.

Chapter three, “The Mind’s Role in Spiritual Transformation”, really focuses on the mind itself. Moreland defines the mind as “the intellect, reason, or the faculty of understanding” (65). This is a great definition to work from when trying to explain the meaning of Romans 12:2, which says, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.” Moreland makes a good case for the things that Paul, through the Holy Spirit, could have said, like “be transformed by developing close feelings toward God” (65) and so forth. The mind, along with gaining wisdom and knowledge, is key to developing the mind that pleases God.

Chapter four, “Harassing the Hobgoblins of the Christian Mind”, begins a new section in Moreland’s book. He has moved from discussing the theory to a more practical look at developing the mind. His suggestion is for Christians to change their reading habits (87). Moreland states, “The mind is a muscle. If it is not exercised regularly and strenuously, it loses some of its capacities and strength” (87). Just as we would exercise our legs for running or our upper body for hitting homeruns, we must exercise our minds with challenging reading to continuously strengthen our thinking capability. Peter requires that we are always to be “ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and respect” (1 Peter 3:15). Our faith must not be seen as blind belief, but we must have good arguments and reasons for believing what we hold to be true. The Church really struggles in our present culture with having credibility in the secular, intellectual community. Moreland desires for that to change. It is imperative that Christians be active and diligent in studying to show themselves approved. In Moreland’s words, we must “defeat the empty self” (101).

In order to love God with our entire mind, we must be disciplined in our studies. That is the basis for chapter five, “Clearing the Cobwebs from My Mental Attic”. Studying is a spiritual discipline. Moreland asserts, “Study is a discipline that strengthens the mind and enriches the soul” (111). The mind has to be stretched, so he recommends reading books for engaging the “intellect in a stretching, strenuous activity” (112). The problem the Church faces today is twofold when it comes to reading. Number one, there are not enough people reading much at all. Number two, most of the ones who do read books that are not challenging in any way. They can sort of passively read and not really be required to think much at all. Chapter five requires patience and endurance during the section in which Moreland deals with logic. He does this to show how reading mind-stretching material can sometimes bring pain to the reader, but it must be realized that the pain is a good kind of pain. Our brains need to hurt sometimes because of something we read. For it is then that our brains are put to work. In addition to presenting logical argumentation, Moreland includes some common informal logical fallacies that were helpful in learning to make proper arguments. This section helped to show how silly some arguments can be and still be accepted by the general public. Therefore, we must strive to make good arguments.

Chapter six, “Evangelism and the Christian Mind”, leads into a new section of the book in which Moreland describes what a mature Christian mind looks like. How does using the mind properly contribute to reaching the world for Jesus Christ? That is the question that is addressed in chapter six. A lot of the ways that we present the gospel have little effect on a dying and lost world. All to often, emotions and feelings are appealed to rather than on the basis of reason and logic. Moreland states, “Rhetoric without reason, persuasion without argument is manipulation” (128). His point is well taken. Believers must know what they believe and why they believe it. Apologetics is introduced and explained so that even a child can understand what it means to give a defense of the Gospel. Apologetics is also very useful in evangelism. Moreland is saddened at the erosion of good arguments in evangelism. He strongly believes that “apologetics is an absolutely essential ingredient to biblical evangelism” (132). One has no choice but to agree with him, especially in the time and culture that we live in.

Chapter seven explores this subject further. It is entitled, “Apologetic Reasoning and the Christian Mind”. Here he addresses dealing with skepticism, scientism, and cultural relativism. Perhaps the strongest part of this chapter is the section on moral relativism. Moreland arguments and examples from real life are superb in countering this generation. Just step onto just about any college campus and cultural relativism can be found quite easily in the thought processes of professors and students. This chapter is recommended to those who deal with students and youth.

Chapter eight, “Worship, Fellowship, and the Christian Mind”, deals with the Christian response and responsibility in worshiping God and fellowshipping with other believers. Moreland insists that in our corporate and private worship, our minds should never be shut down so to speak. He is very helpful in making suggestions on how to read an intellectual book and gain valuable insights from it. Intellectual reading is sometimes very demanding. It takes great effort and time. Moreland says, “Get into the habit of reading books that are somewhat beyond your ability to grasp. If you spend all of your time reading material that requires little intellectual effort, you will not stretch your mind and grow appreciably in your thinking” (168). Perhaps what seems like a weakness on the surface, the challenging nature of having to read some of Moreland’s writing, actually proves to be a strength because it enforces exactly what Moreland is talking about. Excellence is demanded in worship. We cannot be excellent unless we engage the mind to the best of our ability and mental capacity. Laziness is just not acceptable in worshiping the Creator of all that there is, the One and True God. Moreland also addresses Christian fellowship, and he clears up what it is supposed to be rather than what often is called Christian fellowship. When we come together as believers, we should always seek to encourage, edify, and challenge one another for the purpose of building up the body of Christ.

Chapter nine, “Vocation and an Integrated Christian Worldview”, deals with Christians being effective in their workplaces. The Christian worldview determines how a doctor or a lawyer practices his or her profession. Christian ethics must be applied in business, no matter what type of business. Good theology informs good practice. Good practice informs the world of the truth of the Gospel. No profession in let off the hook. Each Christian must seek ways to use their work in spreading the gospel. The mind has to be stretched in this respect as well. Doctors and lawyers have to constantly study and review to stay on top on recent developments and cases.

The last section of the book, chapter ten, takes a look at reforming local churches. This chapter is entitled, “Recapturing the Intellectual Life in the Church”, and Moreland asks some tough questions of the Church. He says, “Because the stakes are so high, we simply cannot afford to tolerate this situation any longer” (189). Moreland offers his philosophy of ministry as a model of the changes he feels that need to be made. Perhaps the most controversial stance he has, especially for a Baptist church, is that he advocates doing away with senior pastors. He has some good arguments, and he even uses Scripture to back them up; however, one is not so easily convinced that such a radical change needs to be made in order to improve the intellectual state of the Church. He then offers practical suggestions on improving the intellectual life of the local church, from sermons to the library to the Sunday school and education department. Basically, Moreland argues that the value of intellectualism must be taught in a very real and life changing way to improve the Body of Christ and believers’ worship of God Almighty.

Overall, Moreland uses sound arguments to support his assertions and conclusions that he has reached in his studies. Not only is his writing style next to superb, he has chosen excellent examples from Scripture, history, and his personal life to back up what he says in his book. The language that he uses (his writing style, word usage, etc.) can be somewhat of a challenge at times, but generally the book can be read by just about anyone who can read. For those words that are not well known, then the reader can follow Moreland’s advice and have a good dictionary close by. In fact, this is a great habit to have when doing any kind of reading for the exercising of the mind.

Now Moreland’s book will be submitted to Dr. Malcolm Yarnell’s seven-fold test of good theology. First, does it glorify God? Yes, Moreland has sought to glorify God with his writing. The reader gets the sense that he points people to Christ, rather than to himself. Second, is it Trinitarian? Nowhere in the book does Moreland deny any person of the Trinity. In fact all three persons are referred to throughout the book. Third, is it biblical? Of course Moreland has been biblical in his approach to the subject. However, as Dr. Craig Mitchell has taught his students, being biblical is often not enough. It is possible to be biblical, but not Christian. This is not the case with Moreland. It is believed that he has sought the Lord’s will in his writing of the book. It is also believed that he uses Scripture properly throughout the book. Fourth, is it historically attested? Yes, just about everything Moreland says in his book he backs up with examples from history. Fifth, is it logically defensible? Well, since Moreland spends so much time dealing with logic, he has made sure that his arguments are logically defensible. He does not make the common fallacies in his arguments that he has described in his book. Sixth, does it edify? In other words, does this book build up or tear down the Body of Christ? Moreland’s whole premise for writing is that he was concerned about the current state of the Church, and he wanted to do something to help it. He is encouraging in his writing, but he is also firm in what he teaches. If Christians began to put into practice the suggestions that he makes in his book, the world would probably be eternally grateful. Besides that, the Church would be growing intellectually and reaching a higher maturity in Christ. Finally, is it proclaimatory? Yes, this book and its teachings would be a great tool for the teacher and preacher to employ.

Christians everywhere can benefit from reading Love Your God With All Your Mind. It comes highly recommended from this author writing this paper. May God help us all in loving Him with all of our mental capacities. Amen!

Alcohol

My position is as follows: Alcohol is ok to drink as long as it is done in moderation—in other words, do not get drunk. Ephesians 5:18 commands, “And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit.” To drink in order to get drunk is wrong. Drunkards are found on the list of people who will not inherit the kingdom of God in 1 Corinthians 6:10 and in Galatians 5:21. Paul instructs in Romans 13:13, “Let us behave properly as in the day, not in carousing and drunkenness.” Peter says that drunkenness is part of the desire of the Gentiles (1 Peter 4:3). In writing to Timothy concerning overseers in the church, Paul says they are to be “not addicted to wine” (1 Timothy 3:3).

What are the effects of alcohol? Proverbs has quite a bit to say about it. Proverbs 20:1 says, “Wine is a mocker, strong drink a brawler, and whoever is intoxicated by it is not wise.” The writer goes on to describe what getting drunk does to a person in Proverbs 23:29-35, “Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has contentions? Who has complaining? Who has wounds without cause? Who has redness of eyes? Those who linger long over wine. Those who go to taste mixed wine...At last it bites like a serpent and stings like a viper. Your eyes will see strange things and your mind will utter perverse things. And you will be like one who lies down in the middle of the sea…They struck me…they beat me…When shall I awake? I will seek another drink.”

Now personally, I do not like the taste of alcohol, but I am free to drink it if I so desire. I am not saying that it is the wisest thing to do, but it is acceptable. Paul addressed this issue of liberty in 1 Corinthians 8 when he wrote about eating meat sacrificed to idols. He says, “Therefore, if food causes my brother to stumble, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause my brother to stumble” (1 Corinthians 8:13). This is important for us to remember as Christians. Paul was willing to give up meat if it would keep his brother from stumbling. We also should be willing to give up alcohol if it causes our brother to stumble. For example, say for instance that I like beer (I really don't) and I go into a bar. While I am there a new member of the church walks by and spots me. What is he to think? He may come to the conclusion that it is ok to go carousing and get drunk. After all, he has seen a leader in the church in a bar. Furthermore, he may spread rumors that he saw me drunk in a bar and my credibility in the congregation would be ruined. Paul says that when we wound a brother’s conscience when it is weak, then we “sin against Christ” (1 Corinthians 8:12). Christians, be wise and be sober!

Lance is Pretty Much the Best Spotter Ever

This weekend, quite a few people in the Wedgwood college and young adult department went for an overnighter at Camp El Har (which is Hebrew for "the mountain of God", although it was really just a large hill). The purpose of the retreat was to help build relationships and teamwork within the group. Let me just say right away that we had a blast!

Friday night we unloaded our stuff and gathered together for a friendly night game of capture the flag. It was the college group verses the young adult group. Nick and I decided to play guard at our base's jail. Since people get caught pretty easily and sent to jail, Style (one of the camp staff) would ring a bell three times to free everyone in jail on both sides. It got to the point where Nick and I just started releasing our prisoners for the fun of it. The college group ended up winning with one flag.

After that we met around a campfire (which Super Dave had to light) and sang praises to God led by Tommy and Jesse. Lance also gave a devotion about being busy about the Lord's work. Don't get caught standing around looking into the sky (Acts 1). While we were out there a raccoon decided to join us. I guess he smelled the hotdogs and smores that we had; either that or he wanted to sing. I consumed four hotdogs, two smores, some more graham crackers and chocolate, a few marshmellows, and a coke. Yeah, I was pretty hungry. Super Dave gave us a little magic show which I thought was quite humorous. In fact, he even did his own music. He's multi-talented.

When we finally got into our bunks, some of us stayed up talking and laughing. Josh was quite the entertainer, and Richard...well, he's just Richard. Shannon's snoring got so loud that Josh kicked the bottom of his bed. He got quite for a little while anyway. At one point, Jesse crawled over to where I was and told us to be quiet, which only encouraged me to laugh more. Then there was this mysterious chant music...we couldn't quite figure that one out.

After breakfast the next morning, we walked down to the ropes area where we would spend the remainder of the day (excluding lunch time of course). During the time spent before lunch, we broke up into two groups and worked on some activities (some were quite the challenge) designed to help us work together as a team.

After lunch, we headed back down for the personal challenges (the high ropes). A few of us started out on the climbing wall. Oh yeah, just so that you know, we had to learn a few commands for everyone's safety. Each challenge started like this (we'll use Coach and Norman as an example):

Norman: "On belay?"

Coach: "Belay on."

Norman: "Spotters ready?"

Bob and Lance (very enthusiasticly): "Ready."

Norman: "Climbing."

Coach: "Climb on."

Style told Lance that he was pretty much the best spotter ever. I have to admit that he was pretty good. Lance and I worked as a team for the rest of the day. It was during this time that he started calling me Raz'r (not really sure why, but it's cool).

All of the high ropes challenges were fun. It was great getting to know my friends a little better and getting to know some people for the first time.

Without Notes...

That is how I had to preach yesterday for my Preaching Lab class. Let me also add that this is really the first time I've preached a message without the use of notes in front of me. For those of you who have never done it, let me just say it is quite a scary experience.

One of my struggles in life is memorization. That is by far the main reason why learning Greek is so difficult. I can't stand having to take a test that is based on total recall (and no, I'm not refering to the movie). I've been off and on throughout the past twelve years memorizing Scripture verses with their addresses. More times than not I'm like, "There is a verse that says so and so (I remember what it says), but I can't remember where it is." I'm gradually improving because I've been practicing that discipline more.

Let me get back to preaching without notes. Once I started the sermon, the rest flowed quite nicely. There were certain things that I wanted to say, but somehow they were omitted from my memory at that critical point in my class experience. Regardless, the sermon got mostly good reviews from my classmates, and my professor, Dr. Steven Smith (highly recommended), gave me a B+. I'm definately not going to argue with that grade.

While a scary experience, I also feel it was an extremely helpful one. Now I know the two or three aspects that I really need to work on, like trying not to pace back and forth or making the introduction stronger. Perhaps one day I will post the sermon, but I want to develop it some more first.

I would like to thank those who have recently prayed for me and encouraged me. You are deeply appreciated!

Homosexuality

Homosexuality is wrong; it is a sin, and there are no ifs, ands, or buts about it. In the beginning, God initiated the relationship between a man and a woman. He created Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve, as some like to humorously assert. Homosexuality is no laughing matter. It was primarily this sin that led to the destruction of Sodom found in Genesis 19. The men of Sodom “called to Lot and said to him, ‘Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us that we may have relations with them’” (Genesis 19:5). A strikingly similar situation can also be found in Judges 19. The law is specific in Leviticus 18:22, “You shall not lie with a male as one lies with a female; it is an abomination.” Leviticus 20:13 adds the punishment for such a sin, “If there is a man who lies with a male as those who lie with a woman, both of them have committed a detestable act; they shall surely be put to death. There bloodguiltiness is upon them.” Paul, in writing to the Roman church, describes those who have exchanged the truth of God for a lie, “For this reason God gave them over to degrading passions; for their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural, and in the same way also the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire toward one another, men with men committing indecent acts” (Romans 1:26-27). Both 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 and 1 Timothy 1:10 contain list descriptions of people who are considered unrighteous (lawless and rebellious), and guess what, homosexuality is found in both lists.

It is quite obvious as to what God thinks about homosexuality, and since we (believers) are His children, we are to be likeminded in regards to this sin. However, we must keep in mind that we are not called to hate people. It is ok to hold a position one way or the other, but when it comes to name-calling and violence, that is where the line is crossed. That is when we fall into sin ourselves. How are we to treat homosexuals? We are to love them and share Christ with them as we would anyone else. We have a responsibility to let homosexuals, and all sinners for that matter, to know that Christ will one day sit as Judge; but we also have the responsibility to share the Good News of Jesus Christ with them. Repentance is an option, and forgiveness is available. I have heard of homosexuals coming to Christ for healing and forgiveness, and now they are serving Christ wholeheartedly. 1 John 1:9 says, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse from all unrighteousness.”

Obviously, if homosexuality is wrong (Scripture makes this clear), then no church of the living Christ should ever be led by a homosexual pastor. No homosexual should be allowed to serve as a deacon or in any other position in the Church. Unfortunately, our culture has had an effect on some churches in our nation. There are homosexual pastors leading churches. There are even churches which promote the homosexual agenda, and they do this in the name of being open to everyone and not being exclusive. With no apologies, I assert that Christianity is extremely exclusive. By that I mean that Jesus Christ is “the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6), and it is an imperative that we follow after Him and His Word. To be called Christian and not follow after Christ is ridiculous.

The day may very well come in this country when taking a stand against homosexuality will be considered a crime. It isn't a far stretch at all to say that pastors may be thrown in jail for preaching against it. God help us to stand firm on His word and endure what may come!

Up, Up, Up On the Roof

Last night, I had planned on going right to bed at an early time (11:30). However, when I got back to the dorm I ran into Jerry and Grant, who invited me to join them (along with Josh and Jason) on the roof of Fort Worth Hall. So, needless to say, I decided to spend a little bit of time hanging out with the boys, and I went up on the roof.

We were having a great time! The view was pretty good. A few stars (those that weren't masked by the lights of Fort Worth) could be seen. The moon was bright. We laughed together. Josh and I had a serious conversation. Then it happened.

We were spotted by two fellow Fort Worth Hall residents. These two proceeded to go to the second floor RA, Anthony, and tell on us. Everyone loves a tattle tale. Well, of course, Anthony, who is a really cool guy, marched up the steps to the roof and told us that we couldn't be up there. We all thought that he was joking.

Well, he wasn't joking. In fact, he threatened to call security. We were like, "You've got to be kidding me." We ended up sitting on the east steps of Fort Worth Hall. Josh and Grant werent too happy about what had transpired. Jerry, Jason, and I had the attitude of "whatever". The two guys who tattled on us came walking up with giant smiles on their faces. We remained silent. I found out that one of the guys was responsible for setting the fire alarm off because he had some trouble cooking popcorn in the microwave.

Today we recieved a message from the housing director about how we shouldn't go up on the roof for our safety (even though the roof has railing) and if anyone is caught, security would be called.

I will miss being on the roof. Even though I had only been up there three times, it had become a special place. I know Josh had been going up there for about a year. It's quiet. You can actually get a good cell phone signal up there. The first time I went up there was with Josh after he found out that his parents were selling his childhood home and buying a new house (visit Trigun's Universe for more info). The second time I went up was alone to read Scripture and pray. It was a beautiful night of worshiping my Creator and praying for my friends. The third time, I was kicked off.

I'm not really angry. I'm just disappointed. There's really nothing for us to do on this campus. I really feel sorry for the college students. Well, I've ranted on enough for now. Until next time, behave; and if you can't behave, be careful!

Abortion

I have heard it said that the ultimate test of any civilization is what it does with its children. The American legal system has decided quite some time ago that the murder of innocent babies is alright. Doctors are legally allowed to practice this gruesome procedure. Many debate whether or not the “fetus” is alive or not, but medical studies have shown time and time again that the child is in fact living. In all of my reading of Scripture, I have not come across any explicit command dealing with the subject of abortion. It was practiced. History has shown us that. Then why is the Bible silent on the issue? It is because I believe that abortion falls under the category of murder. Abortion is murder! In Exodus 20:13, God gives this commandment, “You shall not murder.” This is talking about the premeditated killing of a life. An abortion is definitely premeditated. An abortion also leaves the mother scarred physically and mentally for life. Just listen to the testimonies of women who have had an abortion.

Does God consider the fetus a person? In Psalm 139, David writes about how well God knows him. In verses 13-14, he says, “For You formed my inward parts; You wove me in my mother’s womb. I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; wonderful are Your works, and my soul knows it very well.” In calling Jeremiah, God said, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I have appointed you a prophet to the nations” (Jeremiah 1:5). In Proverbs 6:17, God hates the “hands that shed innocent blood.”

Should we as Christians take a stand against abortion? Well, consider some more of the Proverbs. Proverbs 24:11 says, “Deliver those who are being taken away to death, and those who are staggering to slaughter, oh hold them back.” The next verse tells us that we cannot plead ignorance. Millions of unborn babies are being slaughtered here in America and around the world. We must be a voice to those who cannot speak. Proverbs 31:8 says, “Open your mouth for the mute, for the rights of all the unfortunate.” We should not support the doctors who practice abortions either. Proverbs 28:17 says, “A man who is laden with the guilt of human blood will be a fugitive until death; let no one support him.”

Divorce

My position is as follows: a married couple should not ever get divorced, except in the case where one or the other has been unfaithful to his or her partner. Why do I say that? It is because Malachi is explicit in quoting God, “I hate divorce” (Malachi 2:16). Those are pretty strong words. It is not too often in Scripture that God is quoted as hating something. Why then is this ignored so often? Paul teaches in 1 Corinthians 7:10-11, “But to the married I give instructions, not I, but the Lord, that the wife should not leave her husband…and that the husband should not divorce his wife.” That can only mean one thing—do not get divorced!

Jesus Christ gave only one situation in which divorce is allowable, and that is in the case of unchastity. In Matthew 5:31-32, Jesus teaches, “It was said, ‘Whoever sends his wife away, let him give her a certificate of divorce’; but I say to you that everyone who divorces his wife, except for the reason of unchastity, makes her commit adultery; and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.” Jesus repeats this statement in Matthew 19 and in Mark 10. Not only is divorce a sin, but it leads to more sin, namely adultery. Joseph was going to divorce Mary quietly because he thought she had been unfaithful to him.

Marriage is designed to be a lifetime commitment. Jesus says in Mark 10:9, “What therefore God has joined together, let no man separate.” Paul Hamar writes concerning the subject, “God made one husband for one wife, and anything contrary in this setting is breaking Christ’s command.”[1] We have always heard in marriage ceremonies, “Until death do us part.” The death of a spouse releases the other person from the bonds of marriage. That really is the only honorable way for a marriage to end. Paul states in 1 Corinthians 7:39, “A wife is bound as long as her husband lives; but if her husband is dead, she is free to be married to whom she wishes, only in the Lord” (see Marriage to a non-Christian). Furthermore, Paul goes on to say in Romans 7:2-3, “The married woman is bound by law to her husband while he is living; but if her husband dies, she is released from the law concerning her husband.”

Brother and sisters, let us live our lives with love for one another through the good times and the bad times, the thick and the thin. How tragic it is that statistics show that the divorce rate in the Church matches that of the world at 50 percent! This should not be the case. Divorce is wrong in God’s eyes, and therefore, it is wrong in my eyes as well.

[1] Paul A. Hamar. The Book of First Corinthians. (Gospel Publishing House: Springfield, 1980), 58.

Marriage to a non-Christian

My position is as follows: no Christian should ever marry a non-Christian. My primary argument, which is the strongest support of my position, is found in 2 Corinthians 6:14, “Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness.” Paul, with the Holy Spirit, gives an imperative here. It is plain and simple: “do not be bound together with unbelievers.” Webster’s defines “bound” as “tied or joined, obligated.” That is a pretty good description of marriage as well. Many can recall the words from Genesis 2:24, “For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother, and be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh” (emphasis mine). One may ask, “What is the big deal? Why can I not marry whoever I want?” Well, elsewhere Paul warns the Corinthians, “Do not be deceived: Bad company corrupts good morals” (1 Corinthians 15:33). It is so much easier to be brought down than to bring someone else up. Allow me to illustrate, suppose I am standing on a chair, and a lady is standing in front of me. It would be quite easy for her to pull me down from the chair, but on the other hand, it would be very difficult for me to lift her up to my position. Paul uses a language that can be found in the Old Testament where God commanded the Israelites not to yoke together an ox and a donkey (Deuteronomy 22:10). J. Vernon McGee was profound when he wrote, “A clean animal and an unclean animal should not be yoked together to plow. A child of God and a child of the devil cannot be yoked together and pull together in their life goals.”[1]

My secondary argument comes from Old Testament examples. Isaac and Rebekah were grieved to learn that Esau had married out of the faith (Genesis 26:34-35). Before Joshua died, he warned God’s people not to intermarry with foreigners (Joshua 24:12-13). 1 Kings 11 describes how Solomon’s heart was turned after his foreign wives’ idolatry. Verse four provides a sad commentary on his life, “For when Solomon was old, his wives turned his heart away after other gods; and his heart was not wholly devoted to the Lord his God, as the heart of David his father had been.”

It seems clear to me from Scripture that I should seek a godly wife and avoid getting entangled with an unbelieving woman. Proverbs 19:14 says, “A prudent woman is from the LORD.”

[1] J. Vernon McGee, Second Corinthians, (Thomas Nelson Publishers: Nashville, 1991), 83.

Fire Alarm

What is it about dorms and fire alarms? At the liberal arts university that I went to, Georgia College & State University, people pulled the fire alarm all the time. It was pretty much the same at Georgia Southern.

We now have a college at Southwestern, and guess what, it's happening here. I just happened to be getting some good rest when I heard, "Aaaannkkk, Aaaannkkk, Aaaannkk!!!" I was like, "You've got to be kidding me."

So I threw on some shorts and a shirt and joined a few other guys who appeared to be enjoying their sleep as well. I decided to walk over to the Student Center to check my mail, and on my way back I heard and saw the fire truck driving up to the dorm. When it stopped, three firemen jump out and go inside. Of course, there was no fire, but they have to check these things out.

I saw a few friends while I waited outside. They were telling me what they were doing when the alarm sounded. Snuggles was sleeping. Chase was in the shower. Earls wasn't happy that he had to use the stairs. Jerry was wide awake and proceeded to investigate for himself what was going on (I think he used to be a fireman). A few guys were in the middle of cooking lunch, and Daniel was his usual laid back, cheerful self.

Well, I guess I will start working on some homework, now that I'm up and awake. For those of you who have missed out on dorm life, I'm sorry. Ah, good times!

Tribute to Edgar

Edgar is perhaps the coolest waiter ever to work at a restaurant. However, Saturday is his last day to work at our (Suresh, Josh, myself, others) favorite place to study: IHOP.

I've known Edgar since this past summer. You see, IHOP was where Suresh and I did most of our Hebrew translations. Edgar always took real good care of us. I'm talking about refills. I'm talking about extra portions. Besides those things, we always had great conversations.

I know you must be moving on, Edgar, but thanks for everything. You will be missed, and IHOP will not be the same.

Wisdom from Jonathan V. Adams

"Life's too short to be complicated."

Noteworthy Blogs

Please visit my friends' blogs.

EK

Jason (Be sure to check out his quote page as well.)

Tim

Josh

Deuteronomy 6:1-8

This is my translation from the Hebrew text.

"Now this is the commandment, the enactments and the judgments that Yahweh your God charged to teach you to do in the land to which you are about to pass over there to take possesion of it; in order that you will fear Yahweh your God to keep all of His statutes and His commandments that I am commanding you, you and your son and the son of your son, all the days of your life in order that your days will be prolonged. Now hear, O Israel, and be careful to do them that it will be well for you and that you will become exceedingly numerous as which Yahweh the God of your fathers has promised for you a land flowing with milk and honey. Hear, O Israel! Yahweh is our God; Yahweh is one. And you will love Yahweh your God with all of your heart and with all of your soul and with all of your force. And these words which I am commanding you today will be on your heart. And you shall teach the words incisively to your sons and you shall speak of them in your sitting in your house and in your walking by the road and in your lying down and in your standing. And you shall bind them for a sign on your hand and they shall be for perpetual remembrance between your eyes."

Genesis 3:6-13

This is my translation from the Hebrew text.

"Then the woman saw that the tree was good for food and that it was a thing desirable to the eyes and the tree was desirable to make one wise. So she took from its fruit, and she ate. Then she gave also to her husband close by, and he ate. Then the eyes of both were opened, and they realized that they were naked. So they sewed together fig leaves, and they made for themselves loin coverings. Then they heard the sound of Yahweh God walking around in the garden in the cool of the day. Then the man and his wife hid themselves from the face of Yahweh God in the midst of the trees of the garden. Then Yahweh God called to the man and He said to him, 'Where are you?' Then he said, 'I heard your sound in the garden and I was afraid because I was naked. So I hid myself.' Then He said, 'Who told you that you are naked? Did you eat from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from it?' Then the man said, 'The woman that you gave to be with me, she gave to me from the tree, and I ate.' Then Yahweh God said to the woman, 'What is this that you have done?' Then the woman said, 'The serpent beguiled me, and I ate.'"

Aristotle and Augustine

Aristotle said that men are social creatures and that they have the ability to reason (meaning they are rational). He also proposed that man has four virtues: justice, wisdom, courage, and temperance (self-control). There is a natural law to things in life. When you act according to that law or virtue, you have character, and this is good for society.

Aristotle went on to say that there are two ways to gain character: watch someone who has character and listen to stories (narratives). Who else is better to watch and learn from than Jesus? And what better strories to listen to other than the Scriptures?

Pastors have a need to preach and teach expsitorally from the Scriptures. By reading the Word (the Bible), people learn Christian character. Perhaps one of the reasons why there are so many problems in the Church today is because the Bible and Scripture reading have been neglected.

Christians, we can't live like everyone else. We have to be role models. In 1 Corinthians 11:1, Paul writes, "Be imitators of me, just as I also am of Christ."

Now, Aristotle's system sounds great, but there is a problem with it. Aristotle does not take human sin into the equation. He says people do the wrong things out of a lack of knowledge and a lack of power. All have a weakness in will and in power. We act contrary to good reason.

Aristotle said that the virtuous person gets eudaimonia (happiness, well-being), and that happiness comes from self-effort. He would say you are not a happy person unless you are a moral person.

Augustine, on the other hand, would say the lost person with character has virtues, but his virtues are only excellent vices. This type of man will do the right things, but for the wrong reasons. Augustine said we need the theological virtues.

You may ask, "What are the theological virtues?" Augustine would reply that the theological virtues are faith, hope, and love (see 1 Corinthians 13). Faith and hope grow out of love. Love is defined as caritas, and it is the greatest of the theological virtues. Caritas is defined as the love of God and the love of man for God's sake.

Theological virtues are spiritual gifts. They are not natural; they are works of grace. These give the believer the power and the knowledge to live righteously.

One needs to read the Word of God in order to gain the knowledge to live righteously. The believer also needs to live in accordance with the theological virtues. This doesn't just bring eudaimonia, but makarios. Makarios is defined as the happiness that comes from God. The word translated "blessed" or "happy" in Matthew 5:1-12 is makarios.

When a believer does not live in accordance with God's Word, he is in a miserable place.

Now, the opposite of caritas is cupiditas, which is the love of self.

Aristotle said that if a person worked hard for eudaimonia, he would also be blessed by the gods with makarios. Augustine would disagree because Aristotle's system is a system of works. Augustine's system is about grace.

Genesis 3:1-5

This is my translation from the Hebrew text.

Now the serpent was more crafty than any living thing of the open field that Yahweh God made. So he said to the woman, "Indeed did God say you shall not eat from any tree of the garden?" Then the woman said to the serpent, "From the fruit of trees of the garden we may eat. But from the fruit of the tree that is in the very heart of the garden, God said, 'You shall never eat from it and neither shall you ever tough it, lest you die.'" Then the serpent said to the woman, "You will never die because God knows that in the day of your eating from it your eyes will be opened, and you will become like God, knowing of good and evil."

Genesis 2:22-25

This is my translation from the Hebrew text.

Then Yahweh God built the rib which He took from the man for a woman. Then He caused her to come to the man. Then the man said, "This now at length is bone from my bone and flesh from my flesh. Thus she will be called a woman because from a man she was taken." Therefore a man will leave his father and his mother and keep close with his wife and they shall become one flesh. Then the two of them were naked, the man and his wife, but they were never ashamed before one another.

Paige Patterson Preaches Through First Peter

I highly recommend Paige Patterson's sermon series on First Peter. You can find the series at PaigePatterson.info. After you get to the site, just right click on the sermon links and click 'save target as' to save each sermon to your computer. Dr. Patterson is the president of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.

Creed

Creed
A satirical poem on the modern mind by
Steve Turner

We believe in Marxfreudanddarwin.
We believe everything is OK
As long as you don’t hurt anyone,
To the best of your definition of hurt,
And to the best of your knowledge.

We believe in sex before, during, and after marriage.
We believe in the therapy of sin.
We believe that adultery is fun.
We believe that sodomy’s OK.
We believe that taboos are taboo.

We believe that everything’s getting better
Despite evidence to the contrary.
The evidence must be investigated
And you can prove anything with evidence.

We believe that all religions are basically the same—
At least the one that we read was.
They all believe in love and goodness.
They only differ on matters of creation,
Sin, heaven, hell, God, and salvation.

We believe that after death comes the Nothing
Because when you ask the dead what happens
They say nothing.
If death is not the end, if the dead have lied, then it’s
Compulsory heaven for all
Excepting perhaps
Hitler, Stalin, and Genghis Khan.

We believe in Masters and Johnson.
What’s selected is average.
What’s average is normal.
What’s normal is good.

We believe that man is essentially good.
It’s only his behavior that lets him down.
This is the fault of society.
Society is the fault of conditions.
Conditions are the fault of society.

We believe that each man must find the truth that
Is right for him.
Reality will adapt accordingly.
The universe will readjust.
History will alter.
We believe that there is no absolute truth
Excepting the truth
That there is no absolute truth.

We believe in the rejection of creeds,
And the flowering of individual thought.


Chance (a postscript)

If chance be
The Father of all flesh,
Disaster is his rainbow in the sky,
And when you hear

State of Emergency!
Sniper Kills Ten!
Troops on Rampage!
Whites go Looting!
Bomb Blasts School!

It is but the sound of man
Worshiping his maker.

Genesis 2:19-21

This is my translation from the Hebrew text.

Then Yahweh God formed from the ground every animal of the field and every fowl of the sky. Then He caused them to come to the man to see what he would proclaim to them, and whatever the man would proclaim each living animal, it would be its name. Then the man proclaimed names to all the cattle and to birds of the sky and to every living thing of the field, but for man there was never found a help corresponding to him. Then Yahweh God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man. Then he slept. Next He took one of his ribs. Then He closed the flesh in the parts beneath.

Genesis 2:15-18

This is my translation from the Hebrew text.

Then Yahweh God took the man and placed him in the garden of Eden to work it and to keep it. Then Yahweh God laid charge upon the man saying, "From every tree of the garden you may freely eat. But from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall never eat from it, because in the day of your eating it you will surely die." Then Yahweh God said, "It is never good for the man to be alone. I will make for him a help corresponding to him."

Absolutely Sith

Special to Letters to the Thirsty

Lets be quick. In Star Wars 3, our illustrious good guy Obi Wan Kenobi tells bad guy Anakin Skywalker, that Christians are bad. Well, he didn't really say that, but what is said attacks what we stand for.
Anakin--Anyone who is not with me is my enemy.
Obi Wan---Only the Sith deal in absolutes.

Lets be blunt. Anakin was dealing in absolutes. Either you're with him or against him. That's a very absolute statement and leaves no room for errors, correcting mistakes and rejudging things.

Matthew 12:30 "He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me scatters. Jesus deals in absolutes too. But we all knew that. God Himself is an absolute which cannot be changed. The real question is whether the Jedi deal in absolutes. Well ask Obi wan if he's absolutely sure whether or not only the sith deal in absolutes. Claiming that only the Darkside deals in absolutes is an absolute statement and so the Jedi deal in absolutes every bit as much as anyone else, except that they think they don't do it. Everyone everywhere deals in absolutes. I'll leave you guys to come up with more examples.

Ben Joiner

Nuts...

"...he found me again." I chased this squirrel around a tree, and he finally stopped and posed for me. The squirrels are all over the place at SWBTS in Fort Worth, TX.

Colored Glass

This window can be found in the prayer room at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas.

Wat Tyler

Creative Autobiography
for Dr. Vess
6/12/03

Greetings! My name is Wat Tyler, and I’ve been sent to you tonight to give you a message. I cannot explain it, but one minute I was resting in peace, and the next I was receiving a command to speak with you good citizens of America. I was born in 1325 at a time when England’s government had no time for peasants. I myself was a peasant, and this is my story.

You see, I experienced many troubles in my lifetime. Back in 1348 a horrible plague struck my land and my people. I understand that you have named this plague the Black Death, and how appropriate. I lost many friends and relatives to the plague.

Towns were having problems as well. Growth was slow because of the effects of the plague. Townsmen were in a rut. Even the guilds were having problems. The journeymen were not getting promoted. They were stuck. Masters were passing on masterships to their sons. My people wanted to branch out, but the guilds were just too powerful. Also, if you were not part of the gentry, then you were plum out of luck.

In 1381, we began to be taxed heavily. Tensions and tempers began to rise throughout the land. My anger flared as well when a brutal tax collector stripped and assaulted my 15-year-old daughter. I’d never been so mad in my life. I just happened to hear the screams of my daughter and my wife. Well, I just lost it. I took the hammer that I was working with and bashed in his skull. It was not a pretty picture as you can imagine.

The people in Kent praised me as a hero, and elected me as their leader. Remember that the peasants, my people, were extremely unhappy with the way things were. We were not getting paid for our increased work. Oh yeah, we had to work even harder when people were dying of the plague. On top of that, we were issued another heavy tax, and that was the last straw.

A few of my friends and I got together one night in 1381 to discuss a possible peasant’s rebellion. I was surprised to see two priests there, as well, volunteering their people. With their help our numbers grew to 100,000 willing protestors. Here was the plan. We were going to march from Kent to London, which is a good 50 or 60 miles. Along the way were to kill aristocrats and destroy property. We did make a rule, though. We were not to keep anything for ourselves. I know one fellow who was thrown into the river because he kept a silver cup. Poor old chap, but we were serious. We were not going to stop until we got to the King Richard II, who was only 12-years-old at the time, but he was our only hope.

That was the plan, and that’s just what I led my people to do. We did march. We did destroy. We even made up a song to sing. It goes a little something like this: “When Adam delved and Eve did span, who was then the gentle man?” Our point was this: mankind was created to be equal. We wanted the aristocracy out.

As we marched to London, we broke open prisons and beheaded officials along the way. When we finally reached Richard he asked us what we wanted. Our answer: “We will be free forever, our heirs and our lands.” The king actually agreed with us. But then the tables turned, and I met a horrible death. The king ordered the Lord Mayor of London to seize me. That he did do for he stabbed me through the throat and through the belly. There my life came to a halt and ended in 1381. I was 56-years-old.

Watching from a distance with horror on their faces were my people. They had lost me as their leader. They prepared to fight, but our king rode out to them and proclaimed me a traitor. That isn’t exactly the way I wanted to be remembered. I believed that I was doing something for my people. Richard also told them not to worry and that he had their best interests at heart. The fools believed him. My people went back home.

All did not end well though. Many of my people were hanged as rebels. Another king had lied. I hear that your leaders lie to you as well. At least you still have your freedom. It is in that spirit that I must leave you now. It was the spirit of freedom that urged me and my people to revolt. It was for freedom that the Englishmen, Scots, and Irish fought for in the American Revolution against English tyranny in 1776. And remember, they may take our lives, but they’ll never take our freedom.

Bibliography
Fair, John. World Civilization I notes. Georgia College & State University. Fall 2002.

Froissart, Jean. The Chronicles of Froissart. The Harvard Classics. 1914.

Wat Tyler’s Rebellion – 1381 A.D. http://home.earthlink.net/~dlaw70/wat.htm April 9, 2000.

James

I found this among some of my papers from college. This was a term paper I wrote for Early Christian Writings.

Some call him the practical apostle because he takes a stand for being efficient and consistent in life’s dealings and conducts. James, although he does not refer to his own brother Jesus but twice, he does so in a most reverent and respectful way. Although brothers would know each other so well, James shows no familiarity in his writing because he refers to Jesus as Lord and Christ. He relates his brother to God and implies equality with the Almighty. If Jesus were not who James said he is, this would be blasphemous. James must have known who Jesus really was because as a Jew he knew the law concerning blasphemy.

Since James is called the practical apostle, naturally his book is the most practical of all the Epistles in the Bible. If the book of James could be renamed, it might be called “A Guide to Christian Life and Conduct.” If the New Testament had a book of Proverbs then James would be it. This small book is filled with moral precepts and guidelines. There are a lot of quotations and references to the Old Testament, and probably the most famous one is from Leviticus 19:18, which James calls “the royal law” (2:8). It states, “Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.” James states the ethics of the Christian faith, and is full of figures and metaphors. Dramatic in style, James compels his readers to really think about doctrine and deeds, and how they go together as a vital part of the Christian faith.

Some say that there is a conflict between James and Paul, but only a superficial reading of the two authors would render such a claim. Paul talks about taking the gospel in; James talks about taking it out. Paul saw Christ in heaven making our righteousness. James saw Him on earth telling people to be perfect as His Father in heaven is perfect. Paul dwells on the source of our faith; James talks about the fruit of our faith.

James was always concerned with prayer. His letter opens and closes with tremendous encouragement to pray (1:6; 5:14-18). Furthermore, James begins and ends with prayer (1:5-8; 5:13-18). Although prayer is one of the easiest topics to talk about, it is among the hardest to practice. People said that James had camel knees. What a testimony. I wish I could say I had camel knees. James seems to be emphasizing the importance of prayer in his life, and the importance of prayer in the lives of the believers. Right after his conversion, he instantly became a praying man and was made the bishop of the Jerusalem church (Acts 15:13-21). His mission in life became winning the Jewish people and helping them believe in Jesus as their Messiah. At the end of his life in A.D. 62, the religious leaders and priests in Jerusalem murdered him. Tradition tells us that he was forced to the top of the Temple and commanded to blaspheme the name of Christ. Instead, he boldly proclaimed the fact that Jesus is the Son of God. He was the tossed off the roof where he met his death. Historian Josephus writes, “When, therefore, Ananus was of disposition, he thought he had now a proper opportunity. Festus was now dead, and Albinus was but upon the road; so he assembled the Sanhedrin of judges, and brought before them the brother of Jesus, who was called Christ, whose name was James, and some others; and when he had formed an accusation against them as breakers of the law, he delivered them to be stoned.”

The book entitled Jesus Freaks dramatically recalls the scene.
“James looked down from where he stood, balanced carefully at the highest point of the temple in Jerusalem. Far below, he could see that the streets were filled with people. It was Passover, and Jews from all over the known world had come to the Holy City. A hand grabbed his arm, pulling him off balance. “Get on with it!” a voice threatened. Behind him, a safe distance from the dangerous ledge, stood the chief priest, scribes, and Pharisees. “Deny that Jesus of Nazareth is the Messiah! Before all these people, deny that Jesus was the Son of God and that He was resurrected from the dead,” they demanded. He had obviously known Jesus and walked with Him for many years. He had seen Jesus alive again after His crucifixion and resurrection. James risked another glance at the street below. Many of the people down there knew him. For thirty years, he had been the bishop of the church at Jerusalem. During that time, he wrote a book of the Bible, the Epistle of James. He had openly preached Jesus as the Messiah and the resurrected Son of God on almost every street corner. How could he deny what he had seen with his own eyes, heard with his own ears, and touched with his own hands: his risen Lord? Through his preaching, his prayers, and his example, James converted many people to Christ. He was on his bare knees often, worshipping God and praying for forgiveness for the sins of the people, that his knees became numb and calloused, like the knees of a camel. This also earned him the nickname of “James the Just.” He was respected by everyone, even those who opposed what he taught and believed. Feeling threatened by the rapid growth of the church, the chief priest, scribes, and Pharisees came up with a plan. They would force this well-known church leader to deny his faith before the multitude. But James refused to cooperate. From his place at the top of the temple, he preached with more boldness than ever. Every person in the crowd below looked up as he proclaimed, “Jesus is the promised Messiah! He is sitting at the right hand of God, and shall come again in the clouds of heaven, to judge the quick and the dead!” When the crowd below saw his courage and heard his bold words, they loudly praised God and magnified the name of Jesus. Enraged, two or three of the religious leaders jumped forward and pushed James off the temple roof. Miraculously, James was not killed by the fall; only his legs were broken. Then the priests, scribes, and Pharisees said, “Let’s stone the ‘just man’ James.” They picked up rocks to stone him to death. James, kneeling on his broken legs, prayed, Lord, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” One of the priests, when he heard James praying, begged the others to stop, saying, “What are we doing? ‘The Just’ is praying for us. Stop the stoning! Stop the stoning!” While he was shouting this, another man ran up with a big, heavy stick in his hand and struck James in the head. James died instantly from this blow, still in prayer.”

James calls himself a “servant of Jesus Christ.” He happily and proudly accepts this label as a description of his relationship with Jesus. He shows real humility when referring to his brother during his earthly life. For example, James mentions the name of God seventeen times, but he names Jesus only twice. You see James was strongly opposed to and jealous of Jesus up until the point of the crucifixion, but after the resurrection, he had a special meeting with the risen Lord (1 Corinthians 15:7). This fact adds to the validity to James’s testimony about the deity of the Lord.

James tells us that his letter is written, “to the twelve tribes scattered among the nations” (1:1), to those who lived outside of Jerusalem. Just like the book of Hebrews, it is addressed to the Jewish believers in Jesus.

After a short section of greetings, James jumps straight into what he set out to right about. He realized that Jewish Christians everywhere were going through severe persecution and testing of their faith. So he begins the meat of his letter by telling them about how they must meet temptation and trials, and he tries to comfort and encourage them.

James tells his readers to “consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds” (1:2). He goes on to say later that “blessed is the man who perseveres under trial” (1:12). I think the point he’s trying to make is that without temptation we would be gutless and weak. The person who knows no testing is weak. Without testing, there would not be the joy of overcoming. I know personally that when I have resisted temptation the satisfaction is very rewarding.

In verse 22, James tells believers to not only listen to God’s word, but to also put it into practice. Of course at that time James was referring to the Old Testament, but certainly the New Testament can also be applied. James has this thought, if you don’t prove your faith by your actions, then what good is that faith. We can not be just satisfied with hearing the word, as the Jews mostly do, but we need to go on doing what it says. James gives his readers four verbs dealing with the Word of God. In verse 21 he says to receive it, Verse 23 tells us to hear it, He says in verse 22 to do it, and verse 25 tells us to examine it.

James instructs Christians to keep faith and works in their proper place. Jesus has already done our salvation. What we do is proof of it. The idea is that believers should show the faith that they have. Just as a body without a spirit is dead, so faith is dead without action (2:17).

James also touches on the matter of favoritism. Christianity is a brotherhood that is not supposed to show favoritism. I think the world totally ignores this command from James. The world worships the successful, the strong, and the wealthy, and looks down upon the poor people. James says if we do this we sin and break the law of God, which says, “Love your neighbor as yourself” (Leviticus 19:18).

James takes things even further and addresses the question about sin. He says that whoever obeys the whole law and only makes one mistake is guilty of everything (2:10-11). He calls that person a lawbreaker.

Next, James qualifies a perfect person by him who controls his tongue (3:2). He wants believers to remember that the tongue can be used to testify for Christ and praise His holy name. It is the tool the Holy Spirit uses to amplify the Lord (3:9-10). He makes it perfectly clear that Christians should not praise God and then curse people who are made in His image. Think about it, harsh words have destroyed homes, hurt friendships, divided churches, and sent an untold multitude to ruin and despair. There are a lot of people out there who claim to be Christians and make no effort to control the tongue. May it not be so!

It seems that the world today is war weary. People have asked time and time again, “How can we stop wars?” James would tell us that we first need to answer another question, “What causes wars?” One cause is the world’s desire to get what does not belong to it. The problem is selfishness. Think about the reasons wars are fought. Most of the time wars are fought over land or a certain body of water. Two or more sides end up wanting to possess it and battle takes place. The winner gets the prize. Another reason this world has seen so much trouble is that many people fail to pray, and if they do, often it is with the wrong motive. God promises to answer prayer, but he will not do it on the basis of selfish gain or pleasures. Some people try to pray for a nice car or boat or a million dollars, and the wonder why God did not give it to them.

A lot of it boils down to lust. In the first 5 verses of chapter 4, James mentions the word lust. Dr. Benjamin Jowett, a British educator and theologian, defines lust as “anything that steams the windows of the soul and blurs our vision.” This word lust can very well be translated “pleasures”. We must remember that overindulgence in pleasure is sinful.

The first lust that James deals with involves “fights and quarrels among you” (4:1). Just take a look at the newspapers today, or turn on the news. The second lust causes “battle within you” (4:2). When pleasure has its own way with us, that means war within ourselves. Third, James says in verse three, “When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with the wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures”. When we take pleasure too far, our prayer life is effected. We turn the rushing rivers of the Christian life into a stagnate pond. Fourth he says, “You adulterous people” (4:4). When people become friends to sin and worldly pleasures, they become enemies of God. Jesus said himself, “You can not serve both God and money” (Matthew 6:24).

Then James does a wonderful thing for us. He presents to us a cure for it all. He simply says to submit to God (4:7). Just when you and I have gone and really messed things up, James says, “Come near to God and he will come near to you (4:8). We also should come with a pure heart. We do that by “(humbling) yourselves before the Lord” (4:10). James teaches that if we remember that we are sinners and are humbled, God will lift us up. We are to surrender ourselves to God and not live for the devil. He teaches that when the devil is resisted by those who have given themselves to God, he flees.

James turns towards the rich in chapter 5. He warns them, “You have hoarded wealth in the last days” (5:3). The banks accounts of the rich are indeed full in these days, and sadly, many are charged with fraud and injustice. People will do anything to make a buck. I’m not saying that it is a sin to be rich; it is when you love that money more than God that it becomes sin. Jesus said that it was easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter heaven. For the most part, the problem comes when people think they do not need God. Take Ted Turner for example. The man is super rich, and when he was approached about Christ’s sacrifice for him, he said that he did not want Christ to die for his sins. So many people reject the Savior.

James goes on to give his readers some advice. If anyone is in trouble, he should pray. I love his simplicity. If anyone is happy, he should sing. If anyone is sick, he should send for the elders of the church and let them anoint him with oil (medicine) and pray for him (5:13-14). James adds, “The Prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven” (5:15). If anyone has done something against another, he should confess his wrongdoing to that one (5:16). Elijah’s mighty prayer is an example to us, for “the prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective” (5:16).

James closes his letter rather quickly, but on a high note. He teaches that it is with the gracious act of a Christian who finds someone wondering from the truth and converts that person. Although only God can save a soul, He chooses human beings as instruments to accomplish it.
Not all people through the ages have accepted the words of James as being valid. The canonical status of the letter of James was questioned until the church realized that the author was almost surely the half brother of Jesus. Martin Luther, although he did not question the genuineness of James, he did find fault in its usefulness in comparison with Paul’s epistles, because it says little about justification by faith, while elevating works. I say we do works not to be saved, but we do works because we are saved.

Out of the four men with the name James mentioned in the New Testament, only two have been proposed as the author of this letter: James the son of Zebedee and James the half brother of Jesus. Since the son of Zebedee was martyred in A.D. 44 (Acts 12:2), it is unlikely that he wrote it. That leaves the brother of Jesus, the James that I have presented in this paper.


Bibliography

What The Bible Is All About – Henrietta C. Mears (1998)

Tim LaHaye Prophecy Study Bible – Dr. Tim LaHaye (2000)

Ryrie Study Bible – Charles Caldwell Ryrie, Th.D., Ph.D. (1978)

The New Complete Works Of Josephus – William Whiston (1999)

Jesus Freaks – DC Talk and The Voice of the Martyrs (1999)