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Showing posts from October, 2010

Tolstoy, after Rousseau, on Knowledge and Wisdom

“Real wisdom is not the knowledge of everything, but the knowledge of which things in life are necessary, which are less necessary, and which are completely unnecessary to know. Among the most necessary knowledge is the knowledge of how to live well, that is, how to produce the least possible evil and the greatest goodness in one’s life. At present, people study useless sciences, but forget to study this, the most important knowledge.”

NaNoWriMo

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November is National Novel Writer's Month ( NaNoWriMo ).  I am not posting any blogs during November, except for any that may be related to NaNoWriMo, my novel specifically.  My wife and I will be writing on separate projects, aiming at at goal of  at least 50,000 words, or a 175-page novel by November 30, 2010.  So far, I have a nice 5 chapter novel charted out and am rather excited about the whole endeavor.  Can't tell you what it is (where would the fun be?) but you may catch a hint of what I am writing by taking a glance at my "Currently Reading" list, to the right, on this blog. Perhaps you happen to be in the Columbia area, and would like to join us for some lunch-time write in's.  Bring your laptop, your plots or the seat of your pants (depending on how you write) during the noon hour (or longer, depending on your schedule) to the campus of Columbia International University  (this is not a CIU sponsored event): Thursday, November 4, in the Student Center

Is this a hoax?

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Or is it footage of a real time-traveler from 1928? After all, he is a film student, and does tend to smile a bit when describing the details; but, how compelling is the evidence? This time of year, you never know! But there is one thing you should know . . .

Randoms

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Chile: God at work amongst "the 33" miners . This is "Authority of Scripture" week on the campus of Columbia International University !  Download chapel messages from: Dr. John Harvey (Tuesday, Oct. 26) Dr. Bryan Beyer (Wednesday, Oct. 27) Dr. Larry Dixon and Prof. Andre Rogers (Thurs. Oct. 28) Dr. John DeWitt, senior minister at First Presbyterian Church, Columbia .

Another look at "When the Roll is Called Up Yonder."

James M. Black published "When The Roll is Called up Yonder" in 1894.  This song has been sung often by many churches through the years.  I have a few questions for your consideration, at the end: Stanza 1: When the trumpet of the Lord shall sound, and time shall be no more, And the morning breaks, eternal, bright and fair; When the saved of earth shall gather over on the other shore, And the roll is called up yonder, I’ll be there. REFRAIN: When the roll is called up yonder, When the roll is called up yonder, When the roll is called up yonder, When the roll is called up yonder, I’ll be there. Stanza 2: On that bright and cloudless morning when the dead in Christ shall rise, And the glory of His resurrection share; When His chosen ones shall gather to their home beyond the skies, And the roll is called up yonder, I’ll be there. (REFRAIN) Stanza 3: Let us labor for the Master from the dawn till setting sun, Let us talk of all His wondrous love and care

Books I've Read

The reason I read is simply explained by looking down the banquet table to Tolstoy's German tutor who sat, "trying to remember all the dishes, wines, and kinds of dessert, in order to send a full description of the dinner to his people in Germany; and he felt greatly offended when the butler with a bottle wrapped in a napkin passed him by.  He frowned, trying to appear as if he did not want any of that wine, but was mortified because no one would understand that it was not to quench his thirst or from greediness that he wanted it, but simply from a conscientious desire for knowledge."  (War and Peace, Book 1, Chapter 18) Here is an ever-increasing list of books I've read (non-exhaustive): "9 Marks of a Healthy Church," by Mark Dever “ 10 Books that Screwed Up The World And Five Others That Didn’t Help ,” by Benjamin Wiker "The 99 Beautiful Names of God For All the People of The Book," by David Bentley "2001: A Space Odyssey," by A

Randoms

Did you notice the tee-shirts the Chilean miners were wearing during their rescue?  Did you notice that at the same time the Chilean miners were being rescued, 16 miners were being trapped in China ? Dr. King recommends these books for leaders in training and developing leaders . A few devotional thoughts on the most forgiving people in the world . Saturn's Moons Engage in Cosmic Paintball Fight . What are the similarities and differences between Biblical/presuppositional apologetics and traditional/evidence-based apologetics ?  This simple chart illustrates the contrast between the piece-meal approach of evidentialism against presupositional apologetics.

Getting Over the Code Delusion

This is an interaction with the New Atlantis article, “ Getting Over the Code Delusion ,” based on my printer-friendly version. This way page numbers and paragraphs are more easily identified. When I read this article, I was reminded first of the great milestones of science (the earth is flat; there are only 1,100 stars, which happen to be all the same; the earth sits on the back of a large animal; light was fixed, air was weightless and blew straight; the ocean floor was flat and was fed by rivers and rain; sick people must be bled; hands must be washed in still water; and last, but not least, complete ignorance of invisible elements, such as atoms) and second, how science has been working hard to catch up to the Bible (the earth is a sphere, Isaiah 40:22; stars are without number and are different, Jeremiah 33:22, 1 Corinthians 15:41; the earth floats in space, Job 26:7; light moves, Job 38:19-20, air has weight, Job 28:25 and blows in cyclones, Ecclesiastes 1:6; the ocean floor co

"The Problem of Pain" by C.S. Lewis (part 5): Hell and Heaven

How Can There Be Both Mercy and A Hell? The distinction between a game and a puzzle is that while a game produces winners and losers, puzzles are centered on a solution. C.S. Lewis debates the doctrine of universalism (“all will be saved”) along the same lines of this distinction: is personal eschatology to be regarded as a puzzle or a game? If a game, then why is the winner detestable? If a puzzle, then why the doctrine at all? Which is more tolerable: dismiss the doctrine of hell because it is disagreeable; or, allow the wicked person to enter heaven against his will and remain as he is? Does God send people to hell, or is it their sin? This is the difference between world religions and biblical doctrine. Hell is inflicted because men prefer darkness to light. Hell is not a sentence, but a fact of being. Punishment is just because righteousness, not vindictiveness, stands behind it. A man satisfied with evil will not be satisfied with righteousness. “Pain plants the flag of tr

"The Problem of Pain" by C.S. Lewis (part 4)

[continuing my interaction with " The Problem of Pain ," by C.S. Lewis] Human Pain Chapters 6 and 7 of C.S. Lewis’ book concentrate on the topic of “Human Pain,” which Lewis divides into two categories: “A. A particular kind of sensation, probably conveyed by specialized nerve fibers, and recognizable [sic] by the patient as that kind of sensation whether he dislikes it nor not . . . B. Any experience whether physical or mental, which the patient dislikes.” Immediately, Lewis expounds the pain of human autonomy; that is, the rejection of all that intended good that accompanies submission to God. One may choose the pain of self-surrender out of love for God and gain all the blessings that come with a restored relationship; or, one may instead choose suffer the pain of evil bound up in rebellion against Him. Pain is an illusion-breaker, snapping us out of the delusion that all is well and that all the resources of the world are ours for the taking. We are not self-suffic

"The Problem of Pain" by C.S. Lewis (part 3)

[continuing my interaction with " The Problem of Pain ," by C.S. Lewis] How Can My Breath Stink If I Have No Nose? C. S. Lewis asks, “why do men need so much alteration?” If the argument is that man has become bad through abused free will, then he must be able to use free will to become good. This means that the preaching of the good news (repentance by faith in the finished work of the Lord Jesus Christ) is not good news at all. “Christianity now has to preach the diagnosis—in itself very bad news—before it can win a hearing for the cure.” Lewis present two principle causes for this faulty assumtion: first, doctrine has been skewed by focusing more on virtue and less on vice, more on kindness and less on wrath. Second, sin and shame have been redefined, which leads one to wonder: was Jesus death a mistake if all it took to fix man was a shift in focus and some simple redefinitions? Lewis likens this to the abolition of the nose, “that the smell of hay or roses or the se

Randoms

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A parachute jump from 23 miles (120,000 feet)?  I think Red Bull is the operative word here . November is Novel Writing Month .   Here are " 20 Questions To Ask of A Novel " and some " Neat Stuff for Writers ." Dr. Warren Larson helps us understand " A Christian Response to Islamic Terrorism ." They can get the billets and the bullets, but not the ballots .  Really, Mr. President?

"The Problem of Pain" by C.S. Lewis (part 2)

[continuing my interaction with " The Problem of Pain ," by C.S. Lewis] Life sans Pain Is Lifeless: Chapter 2, “Divine Omnipotence” is thoughtful consideration of the power of God and what man expects of Him. For example, there today is heard the so-called objection to God through the question, “Can God make a rock so big He cannot lift it?” The question demands to know if God exists based on a demonstration of power, which only proves the question is not a good question. Lewis answers: “[M]eaningless combinations of words do not suddenly acquire meaning because we prefix to them the two other words, ‘God can.’ It remains true that all things are possible with God: the intrinsic impossibilities are not things but nonentities . . . not because His power meets an obstacle but because nonsense remains nonsense even when we talk it about God.” If power were proof of existence, then what would be the outcome if you were challenged to arm-wrestle yourself? Impossibilities are s

"The Problem of Pain" by C.S. Lewis (part 1)

[This is will not be a book review per se, but more of a lengthy interaction and summation, spread out over a number of posts--bite-size and eaily digestable portions of this challenging book.] Lewis explains the purpose of his book, The Problem of Pain , as being a solution to “the intellectual problem raised by suffering.” Lewis expresses his personal feeling in the preface that he has nothing to offer his readers “except my conviction that when pain is to be borne, a little courage helps more than knowledge, a little human sympathy more than much courage, and the least tincture of the love of God more than all.” This is perhaps the best summary of the book, humbly presenting both problem and solution with such little complexity. Lewis dedicates the introductory matter of the first chapter to building the framework concerning the rationale of religion (“awe,” generally speaking) through four elements: existence of Presence (the “numenous”) which through the fear of uncertainty bu

In the Spirit

Who, or what, is the Holy Spirit and what does the Holy Spirit do? Here is sampling of various views I found on the web: The bridge to God within you: one part being your own mind, the other The Mind of God; One of nine spirits of God; One of three gods; An aspect of God (mode) perceived by the believer; An active force, God’s breath or energy; inspiration; The power/mind/character of God; or, one of three aspects of mind action; The bounty of God; the conduit through which flows the wisdom of God; the reflection of God’s attributes; The created spirit that acts as an agent of divine action or communication; The reality of God; Haile Selassie The New Testament book of Romans contains 31 references to the Holy Spirit, 21 of which are found in Romans chapter 8. Here we learn the active work of the third person of the trinity the first being His work in us, setting our mind on spiritual matters (8:5); makes of us the dwelling of God (8:9), the sons of God (8:14); gives life to

“The Possibilities of Prayer,” by E.M. Bounds

Bounds does not give us a clear definition of what is meant by the term “possibilities,” but the following paragraph may serve the purpose in the overall theme of the book, coupling “possibility” together with “prayer”: “Prayer is a Divine arrangement in the moral government of God, designed for the benefit of men and intended as a means for furthering the interests of His cause on earth, and carrying out His gracious purpose in redemption and providence.” (Ch. IV, “Prayer—It’s Possibilities [part 1]). “ The Possibilities of Prayer ” is divided into sixteen chapters. Technically, the chapter titles hint that the original publication could easily have been published in serial form. Because of this format, it becomes evident that the progressions of the lessons are requisite on the previous chapters. A revision of the contents could not only easily reduce the number of chapters to a total of nine, but bring more continuity to the present-day reader. The current divisions remain as foll

Randoms

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What Hath Piper to Do with Warren?: Reflections from the 2010 Desiring God National Conference. Living Waters has partnered with Salem Web Network to make available valuable daily audio and video evangelism resources. Through OnePlace.com, Living Waters is pleased to release its Way of the Master Radio Program Archive. The Way of the Master Radio Program, co-hosted by Todd Friel, Ray Comfort, and Kirk Cameron, ran from January 2006 through November 2008.  Go to www.OnePlace.com/ministries/Way-of-the-Master

Grace is Christ Made Real

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“Grace” is a word so often used in Christian contexts that the meaning can be quickly lost, leading to confusion in terms of application. The Greek word “charis” (we get the word “charity” here) was translated “grace” and has often been understood to mean “love,” “favor,” or “pleasure.” Originally, “charis” was used as a greeting, as Paul often demonstrated in his letters: “grace to you.” The implication includes joyfulness, rejoicing because of favor or a gift given for the sake of someone else. Grace makes effectual our salvation (Eph. 2:8-9), but there is a broader meaning. Robert C. McQuilkin (the first president of Columbia International University from 1923-1952) wrote a short book called “God’s Law and God’s Grace” (published posthumously by Eerdmans: Grand Rapids, 1958) wherein he stretches our understanding of the way the word is used in the Bible: “We may think of grace primarily as that which belongs to our Lord Jesus Christ. He is full of grace and truth (John 1:14). Gr

"Proof" by Ethel Romig Fuller

"If radio's slim fingers can pluck a melody From night--and toss it over a continent or sea; If the petaled white notes of a violin Are blown across the mountains or the city's din; If songs, like crimson roses, are culled from thin blue air-- Why should morals wonder if God hears prayer?"

Putting Out the Sun

“A man can no more diminish God’s glory by refusing to worship Him than a lunatic can put out the sun by scribbling with word ‘darkness’ on the walls of his cell.”   C.S. Lewis, " The Problem of Pain ." 

"The Art of War" by Sun Tzu

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This ancient book of 13 chapters is held by public opinion as the definitive book on warfare. Since its publication about six centuries before our Lord Jesus Christ, this book is not merely consulted by most ranks of militaries worldwide, but the principles contained therein have been utilized in law, politics, education, the business world and sports world as well. Any poker player or Kenny Rogers fan knows when to hold ‘em and when to fold ‘em, when to walk away and when to run, as instructed in Chapter 3, “He will win who knows when to fight and when not to fight.” History records the use of these warfare principles in Japan during the 1500’s and was committed to memory by Vietcong officers during the Vietnam War. This book is presently recommended reading in the Professional Reading program of the United States Marine Corps and is required reading for all US Military Intelligence Officers and the CIA. Don’t be surprised to find video games that carry the title, or a movie by the