"The doctrine of depravity is the most debated doctrine in society, but it is also the most empirically verifiable."
Malcolm Muggeridge
Saturday, July 29, 2006
Revisiting Ravi
I have a confession to make. Most, if not all, of my writing is really just regurgitated stuff that I have read or heard. It is these individuals that actually deserve any credit for any wisdom found in my words. One such person that I deeply respect is Ravi Zacharias. I'm going to start including a post once in a while that will serve as a recap of some points he has made during his speaking engagements.
From The uniqueness of Christ in World Religion Parts 1 and 2
1. Lazarus laughed..... this refers to a play by Eugene O'Neal centered around Caligula when he slaughtered many of the first generation of Christians. He encounters Lazarus, who has already died once and been raised from the dead. He threatens to kill him if he does not cooperate, and a dialogue ensues while Lazarus often breaks into uncontrollable laughter. Finally, Caligula says, "That's it. If you laugh one more time, I'll kill you." Lazarus breaks into laughter again, and when he finally catches his breath, he says, "Haven't you heard, Caligula? Death is dead. Death is dead!"
2. The nature of man and man's heart.... "Are we really going to change the human heart by better education? Are you really going to take away the lust in my heart by writing some great book on physiological theories? Are you going to take pride away from me by just telling me somebody else had a great downfall because of their pride? How does one change the human heart?" He points to this and other great points to illustrate the profoundly powerful and unique answer Jesus has to these core issues.
This was just a sampling that does not begin to do his insights and wisdom justice. If you're interested in hearing more. I have a link to his web site on the right. If you will click on either Just Thinking or Let My People Think, there is an audio archive of all of his radio broadcasts over the last several years that you can listen to and/or download for free. I highly recommend it.
From The uniqueness of Christ in World Religion Parts 1 and 2
1. Lazarus laughed..... this refers to a play by Eugene O'Neal centered around Caligula when he slaughtered many of the first generation of Christians. He encounters Lazarus, who has already died once and been raised from the dead. He threatens to kill him if he does not cooperate, and a dialogue ensues while Lazarus often breaks into uncontrollable laughter. Finally, Caligula says, "That's it. If you laugh one more time, I'll kill you." Lazarus breaks into laughter again, and when he finally catches his breath, he says, "Haven't you heard, Caligula? Death is dead. Death is dead!"
2. The nature of man and man's heart.... "Are we really going to change the human heart by better education? Are you really going to take away the lust in my heart by writing some great book on physiological theories? Are you going to take pride away from me by just telling me somebody else had a great downfall because of their pride? How does one change the human heart?" He points to this and other great points to illustrate the profoundly powerful and unique answer Jesus has to these core issues.
This was just a sampling that does not begin to do his insights and wisdom justice. If you're interested in hearing more. I have a link to his web site on the right. If you will click on either Just Thinking or Let My People Think, there is an audio archive of all of his radio broadcasts over the last several years that you can listen to and/or download for free. I highly recommend it.
Saturday, July 22, 2006
The Scarecrow
Once I was hard and bitter
Seeds thrown on me were simply litter
I am now the good ground
But once by thieving birds I was bound
The caretaker would throw the seed
Yet all that came up were weeds
Thorns and thistles appeared too
And yet the farmer knew just what to do
He placed two pieces of wood into me
And hung on it what appeared to be a man
There the old scarecrow hung in his tree
Soon after the farmer worked with His hands
He dug, pruned, plowed, and watered
And the birds stayed away because of Him who was martyred
Now I am soft and sweet
No longer is the scarecrow stuck at my feet
The caretaker came and took him down
And yet still I am good ground
Because the birds perch on the empty wooden cross
They seem to think somehow that the scarecrow lost
But as for me I cling to the wood
Because it made this hard ground good!
Seeds thrown on me were simply litter
I am now the good ground
But once by thieving birds I was bound
The caretaker would throw the seed
Yet all that came up were weeds
Thorns and thistles appeared too
And yet the farmer knew just what to do
He placed two pieces of wood into me
And hung on it what appeared to be a man
There the old scarecrow hung in his tree
Soon after the farmer worked with His hands
He dug, pruned, plowed, and watered
And the birds stayed away because of Him who was martyred
Now I am soft and sweet
No longer is the scarecrow stuck at my feet
The caretaker came and took him down
And yet still I am good ground
Because the birds perch on the empty wooden cross
They seem to think somehow that the scarecrow lost
But as for me I cling to the wood
Because it made this hard ground good!
Friday, July 21, 2006
Saturday, July 15, 2006
Saturday, July 08, 2006
Quote of the week...
A few more thoughts about evil and suffering
The interesting thing about the questions often raised by evil and suffering is just how much of an effect they often seem to have, not only among non-believers, but among believers.
Is this because of our lack of "eternal vision"?
We know there is an eternity ahead of us. It says so plainly in the scriptures, but our focus is drawn to the here and now because of our flesh and the deception/illusion that is constantly promoted by the devil and the world.
Are we so focused on "why bad things happen to 'good' people" that we lose sight of the real issue at hand?
The real issue is not whether or not the devil is allowed to do something terrible to us or someone else in this life. The real issue is whether we allow the devil to deceive us into hindering or harming ourselves or those around us eternally.
Of course, we are to focus on the here and now in the sense that a soldier must focus in the midst of a war. However, the soldier cannot lose sight of the fact that we are fighting the war for a specific reason and that one day.... the war will end. (Praise God for this knowledge!)
May the Lord help us to have eternal vision and eternal values.
Is this because of our lack of "eternal vision"?
We know there is an eternity ahead of us. It says so plainly in the scriptures, but our focus is drawn to the here and now because of our flesh and the deception/illusion that is constantly promoted by the devil and the world.
Are we so focused on "why bad things happen to 'good' people" that we lose sight of the real issue at hand?
The real issue is not whether or not the devil is allowed to do something terrible to us or someone else in this life. The real issue is whether we allow the devil to deceive us into hindering or harming ourselves or those around us eternally.
Of course, we are to focus on the here and now in the sense that a soldier must focus in the midst of a war. However, the soldier cannot lose sight of the fact that we are fighting the war for a specific reason and that one day.... the war will end. (Praise God for this knowledge!)
May the Lord help us to have eternal vision and eternal values.
Saturday, July 01, 2006
Professor Sophie rides again
Just a few thoughts I had while riding with my hairy buddy.
1. About global warming, the issue is not whether the earth is changing, but whether or not we are the ones responsible for that change. I do not claim to be an expert on this, but it seems that we should all be willing to consider this basic distinction. I know, for instance, that the surface of the sun has gotten hotter over the past several decades. Could this not be the reason for the slight change in average temperature over the past hundred years?
2. Credit card companies are some sorry folks. Capital One was recently discovered reporting regularly to the credit bureaus, but they do not report your credit limit in the process only the amount of your balance. This can potentially affect your credit score by bringing it down by as much as 200 points. This effectively keeps capital one customers as prisoners. What's in your wallet?
3. Are gas prices really keeping people from taking their vacations this year? Let us suppose the average increase in gas has been about 80 cents per gallon, and we are driving the family SUV at a wopping 15 mpg. How much extra will you pay this year for a vacation with 2000 miles of driving? How about $100? Yep. If you cannot afford an unexpected $100 on a 2000 mile trek, you should probably not even think about going anyhoo.
Finally,
please be kind to truckers. I hate to see my hairy little buddy getting so stressed when he is driving me around.
Sophie Out.
1. About global warming, the issue is not whether the earth is changing, but whether or not we are the ones responsible for that change. I do not claim to be an expert on this, but it seems that we should all be willing to consider this basic distinction. I know, for instance, that the surface of the sun has gotten hotter over the past several decades. Could this not be the reason for the slight change in average temperature over the past hundred years?
2. Credit card companies are some sorry folks. Capital One was recently discovered reporting regularly to the credit bureaus, but they do not report your credit limit in the process only the amount of your balance. This can potentially affect your credit score by bringing it down by as much as 200 points. This effectively keeps capital one customers as prisoners. What's in your wallet?
3. Are gas prices really keeping people from taking their vacations this year? Let us suppose the average increase in gas has been about 80 cents per gallon, and we are driving the family SUV at a wopping 15 mpg. How much extra will you pay this year for a vacation with 2000 miles of driving? How about $100? Yep. If you cannot afford an unexpected $100 on a 2000 mile trek, you should probably not even think about going anyhoo.
Finally,
please be kind to truckers. I hate to see my hairy little buddy getting so stressed when he is driving me around.Sophie Out.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)