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First - It's HARD for me to memorize Scripture when I'm out of my routine.  But I'm wrapping up being able to quote the first chapter of Philippians.

But...what have I learned?

Summary of the "OIA Method" is here.

  1. Observation – what does it say?
  2. Interpretation – what does it mean?
  3. Application – how do I need to change?

The absolute basics:

thanks for believers, advance the Gospel, live to serve Christ.

But deeper - we (believers) are spiritual siblings - brothers and sisters in Christ.  More than that, we share grace.  Paul wrote, "You are all partakers with me of grace, both in my imprisonment, and in the defense and confirmation of the Gospel."

When a spiritual sibling is persecuted for the sake of Christ, we should feel that grief along with them, and we are partakers with them of grace.

When we support a missionary in the defense and confirmation of the gospel, we are partakers with them of grace.

It puts a different spin on the "children of Christ" aspect and reminds me yet again that it is "all of grace."

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Life has been busy and this blog has (again) gone quiet.  But MzEllen has been a great way for me to work out a few things, share a few things, vent about a few things.

I live with a new husband, live in a new state, go to a new church, hang out in new places.  These are all good changes and I want to - I don't know - write, for one thing.  I like to write.

I do keep track of politics, so that will show up here, but from a conservative Christian view (some might criticize putting "conservative" first, but "Christian" is the descriptor, "conservative" modifies.)

I'm not an authority on pretty much anything, but I know a little bit about lots of stuff!  So if I can get anybody to think about some of the things, that's good.

So, as of the January 1, consider it sort of a "relaunch"

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I think I need to reduce "Currently Reading" (which means finishing a Christian book and a secular book quickly 😉

 

Currently Reading:

  • Relativism: Feet Firmly Planted in Mid-Air (Francis Beckwith and Greg Koukl)
  • The Days of Noah (Fiction, Mark Goodwin)
  • A High View of Scripture (Craig D. Allert)
  • After the Event (Fiction, T.A. Williams)
  • Seven Days that divide the World (John C. Lennox)
  • Citizen Soldiers (History, Stephen E. Ambrose)
  • The Dangers of a Shallow Faith (A.W. Tozer)
  • The Sacrifice Game (Fiction, Brian D'Amato

Reading With a Group:

  • On Christian Doctrine (Augustine)

Finished and waiting to Review:

  • The Lost World of Genesis One (John H. Walton)
  • The Splendour Falls (Fiction, not reviewing)
  • 47 Ronin
  • Everyday Prayers (Scotty Smith)
  • Bonhoeffer: A Biography (Eric Metaxas) - review scheduled
  • God and the Gay Christian: A Response to Matthew Vines
  • The Formation of the Canon of the New Testament (B.B.Warfield)

Devotional On Deck (I don't use all of these all the time, sooo...just that.)

  • Lifting Up Our Hearts
  • Milk and Honey
  • New Morning Mercies (Paul David Tripp)
  • Joy:  A Godly Woman's Adornment (Lydia Brownback)
  • Praying for your Husband from Head to Toe (Sharon Jaynes - this might be moved from "Devotionals" since it's not set up very well)
  • Couples of the Bible (Robert and Bobbie Wolgemuth)
  • Worship Leaders, We Are Not Rock Stars (Stephen Miller)
  • Keeping the Ten Commandments (J.I. Packer)

Coming up Soon:

  • Biblical Inerrancy: the Historical Evidence
  • My Battle Against Hitler
  • Ten Myths About Calvinism

Working through a study

  • The Good News We Almost Forgot (dropped part way through, will pick up again)
  • Taking God at His Word (ditto)
  • New Testament Documents, Are They Reliable? (For a study
  • Jesus and the Eye Witnesses

 

 

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My allergies might be out of control...or I have a continual respiratory infection (but I've done the antibiotic run)  - so after this weekend it's back to hard core diet stuff.

There are many facets to health and fitness, some are spiritual.  Is Christ honored in my body?  Keep that in the front of my mind...

 

This recipe wins out as a favorite - easy, healthy and (except for the rice) pretty paleo.  (This is a photo I took myself, no staging, etc.  So this is what "my version" looked like.)

lighterorangechicken

 

 

 

* Exported from MasterCook *

LIGHTER ORANGE CHICKEN

Recipe By     :
Serving Size  : 4     Preparation Time :0:00
Categories    :

Amount  Measure       Ingredient -- Preparation Method
--------  ------------  --------------------------------
3              large  boneless skinless chicken breasts -- pounded to 3/4 inch thickness and cut into bite sized pieces + salt & pepper to taste
1/2           cup  orange juice
1         tablespoon  orange zest
3        tablespoons  soy sauce
3        tablespoons  honey
2        tablespoons  rice vinegar -- (may sub white vinegar)
1/2      teaspoon  crushed red pepper flakes
2          teaspoons  minced garlic
1         tablespoon  cornstarch -- mixed with 1 T water and whisked until dissolved
1/4           cup  green onion -- sliced
1         tablespoon  sesame seeds
3               cups  cooked white rice

Season chicken with salt and pepper to taste. Spray a large pan or non stick skillet generously with cooking spray. Cook chicken 5-6 minutes, stirring through out for even cooking, until cooked through. Use a slotted spoon to transfer chicken to a paper-towel lined bowl. Drain and wipe out the pan.

In a medium bowl whisk together orange juice and zest, honey, vinegar, soy sauce, red pepper flacked, and garlic. Add mixture to pan and bring to a slight boil. Add water-corn starch mixture and stir until thickened. Add chicken and stir to coat.

Serve chicken with cooked rice and garnish with optional sesame seeds and green onions if desired.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 471 Calories; 4g Fat (7.4% calories from fat); 46g Protein; 60g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 103mg Cholesterol; 892mg Sodium.  Exchanges: 2 1/2 Grain(Starch); 5 1/2 Lean Meat; 1/2 Vegetable; 1/2 Fruit; 0 Fat; 1 Other Carbohydrates.

Nutr. Assoc. : 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

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20140127-185107.jpgThis is the bench where Phil asked me to marry him.

This is also one of my favorite parks to hike.  But...

A few months ago, I hiked from one of the more remote parking lots and returned to find the car window broken and some things missing.  One of them was my iPad (yeah, I know.  the "Don't Leave Valuables In Your Car" sign matters.)  Anyway, we were able to track it to a part of town where I have been warned not to go because of gang activity.

A couple of weeks ago I went up for the first time - and for the first time saw gang tags up on the road.  The gangs are taking over and I resent that they have to ruin everything.

So, I avoid that part entrance and stick to the more populated ones (so I will pass that bench more often) and enjoy the day...

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from Aish.com by Dr. Gerald Schroeder

How did I get to this site?  My thought process was something like

  1. How old is the world?
  2. How old is the world according to Scripture?
  3. How can we best understand what Scripture means (answer: find out what the people who wrote it and originally read it thought it meant.)
  4. Who would know better what the ancient Jews thought...than ancient Jews?
  5. What is the closest we can get to that?

A lot of this made my head hurt.

Dr. Gerald Schroeder earned his BSc, MSc and double-Ph.D. in Nuclear Physics and Earth and Planetary Sciences at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology...

So...he's a smart guy  😉

Now...add to that, the Bible commentary he uses is all pre-1300 (so, no modern science has affected the reading of Scripture.)

In 1959, a survey was taken of leading American scientists. (...)Two-thirds of the scientists gave the same answer: "Beginning? There was no beginning. Aristotle and Plato taught us 2400 years ago that the universe is eternal. Oh, we know the Bible says 'In the beginning.' That's a nice story, but we sophisticates know better. There was no beginning."

That was 1959. In 1965, Penzias and Wilson discovered the echo of the Big Bang in the black of the sky at night, and the world paradigm changed from a universe that was eternal to a universe that had a beginning. After 3000 years of arguing, science has come to agree with the Torah.

Okay - when do the Jews say the universe began?  They start with Rosh Hoshana - the Jewish New Year.

"Hayom Harat Olam ― today is the birthday of the world."

Does it mean that (about)5,700 years ago, the universe came into existence?  According to this article, the "birthday of the world" celebrates, not the cosmos, but rather the creation of the human soul.

So (to use the article's wording) the Bible has two clocks.  The first "clock" is the time leading up to Adam, the second clock begins with the soul of Adam.

One of the reasons for seeing this concept is the language.  Is there anywhere else in the Bible where a "day" is described as "morning and evening?"  This bizarre word usage is used until Adam; after Adam "normal" human time is always used.

Remember the days of old; consider the years of many generations;(Deut 32:7 ESV)

Nachmanides (died 1270 AD) saw this verse as "split time" - "days of old" = pre-Adam; "many generations" = post Adam.

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Phil and I have been discussing this exact topic - how Christian should respond to the state's newly revised definition of "marriage" and what to do when pastors can no longer, with good conscience, act as state administrators

In many jurisdictions, including many of the United States, civil authorities have adopted a definition of marriage that explicitly rejects the age-old requirement of male-female pairing. In a few short years or even months, it is very likely that this new definition will become the law of the land, and in all jurisdictions the rights, privileges, and duties of marriage will be granted to men in partnership with men, and women with women.

As Christian ministers we must bear clear witness. This is a perilous time. Divorce and co-­habitation have weakened marriage. We have been too complacent in our responses to these trends. Now marriage is being fundamentally redefined, and we are ­being tested yet again. If we fail to take clear action, we risk falsifying God’s Word.

The new definition of marriage no longer coincides with the Christian understanding of marriage between a man and woman. Our biblical faith is committed to upholding, celebrating, and furthering this understanding, which is stated many times within the Scriptures and has been repeatedly restated in our wedding ceremonies, church laws, and doctrinal standards for centuries. To continue with church practices that intertwine government marriage with Christian marriage will implicate the Church in a false definition of marriage.

Therefore, in our roles as Christian ministers, we, the undersigned, commit ourselves to disengaging civil and Christian marriage in the performance of our pastoral duties. We will no longer serve as agents of the state in marriage. We will no longer sign government-provided marriage certificates. We will ask couples to seek civil marriage separately from their church-related vows and blessings. We will preside only at those weddings that seek to establish a Christian marriage in accord with the principles ­articulated and lived out from the beginning of the Church’s life.

Please join us in this pledge to separate civil marriage from Christian marriage by adding your name.

Drafted by:

The Reverend Ephraim Radner

The Reverend Christopher Seitz

Link here

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1) Remember "Palin Derangement Syndrome?" It happens with other people also.

When you are so determined to see bad in all things that even tangentially touch a person, you've got DS (Derangement Syndrome)

2) I am in NO WAY supporting or agreeing with the sins that Mark Driscoll as committed in his time at Mars Hill. I hope that he, his family, his church, and all those who have been injured by Driscoll's leadership find healing, repentance and forgiveness.

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Warren Throckmorton has been making much hay over Mark Driscoll.

Some of the posts have been right on target. Others miss the mark.

Still others are full on "MDDS" (Mark Driscoll Derangement Syndrome)

When you go on the attack, aimed at John Piper, because he didn't say everything that you think he should have said in an ELEVEN MINUTE podcast, you've got MDDS

When you question the integrity of other authors, based on the fact that they use the same publicist as Driscoll, you've got MDDS.

When (this was a commenter) you suggest that Christian authors should not sell their work, but give it away as a PDF and wait for folks to "donate" what they think the work is worth---forgetting that the HOST of the blog you're commenting on is an author who (wait for it...) SELLS HIS WORK, you've got MDDS.

I've been following Throckmorton for a while, and his encouragement of the haters is disturbing and disheartening.

The information he puts out there is (perhaps) necessary, for those who have sat under Mark Driscoll, and want to keep tabs on the information in one place.

BUT...in order to keep the true haters (and MDDS) under a little more control, I'd suggest closing comments on all new posts concerning Mark Driscoll. If readership continues, Throckmorton will know that his information is still getting through to the right places.

If readership falls if commenters cannot continue ranting - that's a clue that Throckmorton's most common function has been to provide a venue for MDDS.

that should be worth thinking about.

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I've been quoting this, and since it's now PAGES back, I want it posted here so I can find it quickly:

To the Progressive Socialist Totalitarian Left, Christianity is a threat to the primacy of the State. The Totalitarian Left believes the Authority of the State must be absolute, because the left can control all the apparatuses of the State and impose their moral beliefs on the population. For example, the belief that unborn children can be sacrificed in the name of personal convenience and the sick and elderly can be sacrificed to save the State money. Christianity, on the other hand, teaches that there is a Higher Moral Authority than the State; and that the conscience of the individual… not the Collective Will as embodied in the State and its organs.

It isn’t necessarily because of Gay Marriage, per se, but Gay Marriage is a cudgel that the left can use against Christianity; forcing Christians to bow to the State (e.g. being forced to participate in gay weddings as bakers, photographers, and florists). The ultimate goal is to eradicate Christianity and its tenet that each individual has a conscience and a moral imperative.