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Showing posts from July, 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.”

This is Religion

"To rest all upon the everlasting mountains of God’s love and grace in Christ, to live continually in the sight of Christ’s infinite righteousness and merits, they are sanctifying. Without them the heart is carnal, and in those sights to see the full vileness, yet littleness of sin (in comparison to Christ’s righteousness), and to see all pardoned: in those sights to pray, hear, and so forth, seeing your polluted self, and all your weak performances, accepted continually; in those sights to trample upon all your self-glories, righteousness, privileges, as abominable, and be found continually in the righteousness of Christ only, rejoicing in the ruins of your own righteousness, the spoiling of all your own excellencies, that Christ alone, as Mediator, may be exalted in His throne. Mourn over all your duties however glorious, that you have not performed in the sight and sense of Christ’s love. Without the blood of Christ on your conscience, all is dead service (Heb 9:14)." Tho

John and Isaiah: Wondering at The Harlot.

Anyone who has read the book of Revelation has met the woman sitting on a scarlet beast, in chapter 17. She is dressed in purple and scarlet, is adorned with gold, precious stones and pearls, has a cup and something written on her forehead. Right after this John says, “ And when I saw her, I wondered greatly .” (17:3-6) The woman is, for the sake of explanation, like a “cartoon” version of something else—she is explained to be “the great city, which reigns over the kings of the earth” (17:18). Much like Daniel saw a “cartoon” of the empires of the world in the statue of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream, John saw this woman as a representation. John was astonished by what he saw, and when I saw through John’s eyes, please know that I was astonished, too. I’ve been studying the Bible for years and this passage is one that has been a matter of discussion for centuries. Many, many interpretations and explanations have been offered. Please understand that I am making no claim at “new understan

Contend!

As a young teenager, I nearly lost my right hand. The accident could have been avoided if I had obeyed my father’s instruction, but I just had to try. Perhaps many have done the same thing I was doing that day—lighting firecrackers and tossing them. The warnings are there for a reason, and my one act of foolishness almost cost me—one fast fuse is all it takes. One can never tell one fast fuse from any other—they all look the same. You can’t plan an accident like that. I believe God spared me all but the pain when the thing went off in my hand. I’ve never felt anything so horrible and pray I never do again. The New Testament book of Jude is an amazing little letter. Many people not too familiar with the Bible may look for something short to read when they open the book for the first time and tend to gravitate toward the smaller books. Imagine the surprise when they read this little epistle! It nearly explodes in one’s hands! I believe the short book with its’ short fuse is part of th

Classical Friday . . . sort of.

Usually Fridays are reserved for literary excursions, but this week, I wanted to do something different. I want to share one of my favorite pieces of music. This particular piece is from "A Little Nightmare Music," by P.D.Q. Bach, the 21st of Johann Sebastian Bach's 20 children. Prof. Peter Schickele, the only scholar who will study P.D.Q. Bach, divides the life of the composer into three parts: the "Initial Plunge" (when P.D.Q. learned the principles of music), the "Soused Period" (or the "Brown Bag" period, when he forgot what he learned in the Initial Plunge), and "Contrition" (the last short years of his life). This piece demonstrates P.D.Q.'s excellent grasp and ability to plagiarize. It was a common practice for composers to borrow themes, but this piece is an excellent case-study in the composer's frequent use of tracing paper. Enjoy!

Ok, It's Your turn!

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“Isn’t talking about hell like using a scare tactic to get people into heaven?”

There are programs today that allow teenagers to experience prison with the intent of saying, “you don’t want to be here.” It is a legitimate scare tactic that helps deter unlawful behavior and not only keeps the peace between citizens, but keeps families together and allows one to enjoy a better life. You should be thankful for programs like this! Who knows the kinds of people you rub shoulders with in this world! Consider public service announcements like this that were very common years ago: Are you aware that the number one causes of car accidents are trees? Did you know that the number one killer in the world is death? Have you ever seen what happens to a person who did not wear a seat-belt? I have. He did not go home that night and hasn’t been home since. When announcements like this are made, nobody complains because of the reality of the situation. Let’s be clear about one thing. The message of the gospel is not about relocation; that is, being saved from one place to go to ano

Special Announcement

Here is a special announcement from WTS Bookstore ,, with some helpful FAQs.

What happened?

A car wreck can be a life-changing experience, and if you’ve ever been in a serious one, you know how small these words can be. There is almost no way to describe the spontaneity, the sudden impact, the sights and sounds, the pain that lasts for months or years or longer . . . Such an event or other disasters are very unforgiving. They happen with no regard for who is involved, life experience, family, status, education or religion. There are occasions when good experiences happen that are so grand that they, too, can be equally “unforgiving” and leave an indelible mark just as plain as a disaster—especially when it comes without expectation. There is a colleague of mine who gushes this kind of grace. One cannot be in his presence without feeling uplifted, encouraged and blessed—even if it is relaying a mere, “good morning!” Some people have good experiences that turn out to be a disaster for them while others experience horrendous tragedy that become for them an indescribable virtue.

Freedom

Freedom is not the liberty to do as one desires, but the power to do everything one should.

How To React To An Oncoming Google Streetview Car | MakeUseOf.com

Good one! How To React To An Oncoming Google Streetview Car MakeUseOf.com

Free Audio Book!

Download A.W. Tozer's "The Pursuit of God" in Audiobook without cost! christianaudio.com - christianaudio.com

Randoms

Watch this excellent presentation called " The Bible vs. The Book of Mormon " " The Watchtower Society Exposed " is an older documentary, but worth the time. Grek Koukl answers the question, " How do I give a gracious response to someone who tells me he's 'sending white light' my way when I've asked for prayers ?" I can't stand it when people push their opinions on me. I am offended by this public service announcement: