Head-dibs

No Room In the Inn? No Room in the inn--literally! Why Does The Star of Bethlehem have 14 points? Overtime May Add More to Your Waistline than Your Wallet. Archaeologists stumped by ancient markings found under Jerusalem . He did nothing wrong! Really!

There is this great chapter in John Steinbeck’s “East of Eden,” wherein he describes this darling country mother (Olivia Hamilton, by name) who disbelieves a war is taking place (World War 1) until a neighbor boy is killed in Germany. This death snaps her to her senses so strongly she declares her own personal war against the Kaiser himself and sells so many war bonds that the Army rewards her efforts with a plane ride. The only problem is that she does not believe in airplanes. What happens next is golden—but you read that for yourself. Truthfully (and on a very human level) the Christmas story is hard to believe; yet, with all the historical evidences alone, the event is undisputed and we can embrace and rejoice with the news of the Savior! We can, to some degree, begin to grasp the conflicting emotion experienced by Mary and Joseph who both received angelic announcements concerning what was going to happen. The news is unbelievable; however, they trusted God. And what about...

The Greek tragedian Aeshylus (525-456 BC) wrote, “God is not averse to deceit in a holy cause.” Nothing could be further from the truth. One of the greatest difficulties pastors face today stems from this damaging worldview. Truth is the unifying factor of all the pastor is and all the pastor is to do; otherwise, the badge of office is “scandal,” and the world knows this. Just read the headlines. We catch a glimpse of the centrality of truth in pastoral ministry where Paul writes to Timothy, “Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus, according to the commandment of god our Savior, and of Christ Jesus, our hope; to Timothy, true child in faith . . .” (1 Timothy 1:1-2). This entire letter to Timothy encourages truth and warns against those who speak otherwise. There are those who shipwreck their faith on the reef of untruth. Truth defines both the person and work of the minister. Let’s get this right, from the beginning. “Ministry” is an outward orientation, taking care of others. Ministry ...

"With his two new movies War Horse and The Adventures of Tintin, Steven Spielberg commands our attention once again. We've taken the occasion to produce the following video essay exploring what may be the most singular visual element to his films: the face." I must admit that after all these years, I never saw the scene described in 4:35-38 as an orchestra, but now it is so perfectly obvious: the music playing in the backgound while all the people are standing in orchestral formation . . . stunning visual composition! Truly masterful.

Last week did not make it to the gym or walk at all last week, yet still dropped another 4 pounds (lost a total of 30 pounds since August). Excellent! During my week of non-activity, I was thinking more about my walking and looking forward to doing more 5k (these are getting to be regular features, daily when I can excercise). I've been trying to jog once again, but only able to do about 3/4 mile--even in increments. More on that momentarily. During my "break," I watched this documentary called, "Running the Sahara" about three guys (who typically run the equivalent of 2 marathons per day) who ran from the Atlanta Ocean in Senegal, West Africa all the way across the Sahara to the Red Sea in Cairo, Egypt in 111 days. Talk about inspiration! Well I finally made it back to the gym and jogged 2 miles of the 5k in increments--I found my stride and divided up the run thus: 1) walk .25 miles; 2) jog .75 miles; 3) walk .25 miles; 4) jog .75 miles; 5) wa...

Our last post had us thinking a bit deeper about the Angels and the Shepherds. Departing at this time from the Christmas story would have us miss a very crucial aspect of God’s plan in stepping into time and space in the person of our Lord Jesus Christ. Ponder this in your heart: God chose shepherds. So what? (I have grown to love the journey launched by these two words). We catch of glimpse of what sort of person Jesus would be by God’s selection of this first audience and God’s selection of the shepherds was not arbitrary, but very intentional. First, “so what” is the very attitude most of the world has always had about shepherds; yet, shepherding is part of the structure of Israel’s history. Their work is tied to the integral part of worship in what we may now call “Old Testament life.” So, why are they so despised? One reason is the nomadic lifestyle of the ancient shepherd, preferring a home on the range instead of settling down under a roof. They had to move constantly...

Play the scene in your mind: angels appear to the shepherds with the divine announcement of the Savior’s birth and the shepherds go find baby Jesus and return to their flocks rejoicing. And that’s it, right? The event is so short that we can encapsulate the whole affair in one sentence. The Nativity scene is burned into our brains. When we slow down and ponder the event, we discover the scene is so incredibly rich. Luke 2 tells us the shepherds were minding their business when an angel of the Lord appeared, shining the Lord’s glory all around them. The shepherds were terrified! Why? Well, let’s break it down: dark night, bright light where one should not be, an off-subject announcement (who know what they shepherds were discussing, or if they were asleep)—fear seems to be the default response—but don’t stop there. Look and ponder. The Angel of the Lord appeared to the shepherds, then a multitude of angels. Look at the heritage of these shepherds: Angels guarded the Tree of Lif...

While stuck in “revision-land” with my novel, I am trying to keep the creative juices flowing by using prompts and various writing assignments. Admittedly, I’ve not been writing as much as I’ve wanted, despite my best efforts. Regardless, here I am staring down my latest assignment and frankly, I don’t want to do it. It frightens me. Here it is: “Create a character with personality traits of someone you love, but the physical characteristics of someone you don’t care for. ” Immediately the faces of two individuals come to mind and just as quickly comes the horror: I must destroy someone I love for the purpose of creating a person who does not exist. Then came the greater horror: there exists someone in my life for whom I don’t care. All the discipline I require to press on with my duty has crashed head-on with my refusal to do the assignment.   I have love for one and I have hatred for another. There exists within me deep respect for one and deep disdain for another. One dra...

Here are titles for 10 books I’d like to write. What are your first impressions of the titles? Which genre do you think each would fall? What do you think the books would be about? 1)       Spankey’s Newfangled Monster-kicker: An Illustrated Guide 2)       Eating Greens 3)       That Horrible Skin 4)       Death or Die Trying 5)       Priority 6)       Resurrecting Joy 7)       Why Be Great? 8)       Why Lead? 9)       Forgotten Etiquette 10)     Crossbound

Jonathan Edwards: A Missionary?  PhD. Candidate Jonathan Gibson takes a closer look at the famed preachers' service in Stockbridge. Paul Tripp examines anger, the beautiful characteristic of God . How about some Biblical Roundup for the Root of Bitterness? Paul Tautges mixes up a batch of " 15 Ways To Kill Bitterness ." The Necessity of Sleep for Proper Recovery. Here's a great question: Why Do We Love C.S. Lewis and Hate Rob Bell?

Bible teacher Woodrow Kroll writes this provoking thought: “If the star of Bethlehem first appeared on the night Jesus was born, then two groups started a journey toward worship that evening. The shepherds didn’t have far to go. They could probably see the dim lamplights of the little town from the hillside where they were tending their flocks. Meanwhile, in a distant land, wise men marveled and began preparations for an important journey. It may have taken them as long as two years of travel to reach Bethlehem.” As you ponder the things of Christmas in your heart, take a moment to reflect where you are now in your journey with Christ: Was it a short trip (perhaps you came to Him when you were young), or were you a long time in coming (perhaps you repented later in life)? What it was that drew your attention to The Savior? Who or what was it that pointed the way? How did you find out about Jesus? Are you drawing even nearer to Him in your everyday walk? Why do y...

Ready for Christmas? When we were school children, we looked forward to being out of school and getting presents. Now we are grown and we groan, looking forward to time off of work—not much, but any amount is deeply anticipated. But really, why are you looking forward to Christmas? Most of us readily vocalize the Christo-centricity of the holiday, but why long for this particular day? Is it because of a memory, a smell, feel, sound, or sight? Is it because we like to see Ralphie in that pink bunny suit all day long? Fa-ra-ra-ra-ra ra-ra ra-ra! Sure we love to hear Linus recite, but we are so familiar with the events in Bethlehem that unlike Mary, we do not ponder these things in our heart. When was the last time we stopped everything in order to truly understand? Instead of rockin’ around the Christmas tree, how about a quiet “sit and think” about Christmas for a while? Why did God step into time and space as a helpless infant in a village so obscure that even the gospel writers h...

Matthew 2:2 and 9 report that magi saw a star and followed it in their quest to find the birthplace of the King of the Jews. Here are a couple of paragraphs that helped me get a better grasp of what they were doing: “The old Polynesians were great navigators. They took bearings by the sun by day and the stars by night. Their knowledge of the heavenly bodies was astonishing. They knew the earth was round, and they had names for such conceptions as the Equator and the northern and South ern tropics. . . . The Polynesians knew five planets, which they called wandering stars and distinguished them from the fixed stars, for which they had nearly two hundred different names.   A good navigator in old Polynesia knew well in what part of the sky the different stars would rise and where they would be at different times of the night and at different times of the year. They knew which stars culminated over the different islands, and there were cases in which an island was named after ...

Now's your chance to stop wondering about what takes place on a Bible translation committee. Here is a rare opportunity to sit in and listen to a debate on translating the word "slave" or "bondservant" in light of author's intent and audience perception. Why do we say “The United States is” rather than “The United States are” ? While we're on the subject, do you like our new logo ? If given a choice, would you choose a personal trainer who has struggled with their weight in the past over one who never has? Are you an "educated man?" Here are three characteristics to consider. I just HAD to post this:

" Why do you love me?" Admit it guys. This has got to be the most difficult question of all time. Ever. Not much else on the planet can make a guy stop whatever he is doing, make him stop breathing, cause a few second of cardiac arrhythmia and perhaps trigger an avalanche of anxiety than hearing his darling wife ask, “honey, why do you love me?” Ok, maybe being struck by lightning would do the trick. Statistics show that men will most often face repeated strikes by the one without ever encountering the other and be left deeply desiring the one over the other. Despite the fact that I know deep in my heart that I love my wife dearly (words can never tell), I still brace myself for the moment I hear her sweet voice float the question. Psalm 116 is the love song of a person deeply, passionately in love with God—and all the words to tell. Are you in love with God? Then read this out loud, “I love the Lord because . . .” “Because God has heard my voice, my pleas fo...

I been scarred and battered. My hopes the wind done scattered.        Snow has friz me,        Sun has baked me, Looks like between ‘em they done        Tried to make me Stop laughin’, stop lovin’, stop livin’—        But I don’t care!        I’m still here!

Objection: Some verses show that God requires animal sacrifice (Genesis 4:4; 8:20-21; 15:9-10; Exodus 20:24; 29:11-37; Leviticus 1:5; 23:12-18; Numbers 18:17-19; Deuteronomy 12:27); however, other passages indicate that God does not require animal sacrifice (Psalm 40:6; 50:13; 51:16; Isaiah 1:11; 66:3; Jeremiah 6:20; Micah 6:6-7). This is yet another reason why I won’t believe the Bible! Answer: Yes, God did command animal sacrifice; but, the sacrificial system was never intended to be permanent. The purpose of the sacrifice was to show mankind the necessity of being morally clean. Look at it from this perspective: regardless of whether they were Guilt Offerings, Sin Offerings, Peace Offerings and all the rest, how many offerings would be given before a man’s resources run out? He can’t just walk up to the flock, grab a lamb and kill it. There were specific offerings that had specific criteria for specific purposes. The point was to show man’s limitations and God’s provision b...

Thank Thee, O Giver of Life, O God! For the force that flames in the winter sod; For the breath of my nostrils, fiercely good, The sweet of water, the taste of food, The sun that silvers the pantry floor, The step of a neighbor at my door; For dusk that fondles the window pane, For the beautiful sound of falling rain. Thank Thee for love and light and air, For children’s faces, keenly fair, For the wonderful joy of perfect rest When the sun’s wick lowers within the West; For huddling hills in gowns of snow Warming themselves in the afterglow; For Thy mighty wings that are never furled, Bearing onward the rushing world. Thank Thee, O Giver of Life, O God! For Thy glory leaping the lightning rod; For Thy terrible spaces of love and fire Where sparks from the forge of Thy desire Storm through the void in floods of suns, Far as the heat of Thy Presence runs And where hurricanes of chanting spheres Swing to the pulse of the flying years. Thank Thee for human toil...

I was going to write on Psalm 9, but I never made it past the Superscript. It’s too rich. It reads, “To the choirmaster on muth-labben, a psalm of David.” See what I mean? You don’t? Well, let me ‘splain. We get the idea right away this is some kind of musical instruction, but we get sort of hung up on that nearly unpronounceable “m” word (just say it with confidence—it’s not that difficult). There are many different thoughts about what “muth-labben” means: some divide the word up [ לַבֵּן מוּת עַלְ (al mut labben)], which can be read “on the death of the son.” Others, based on the Greek translation of the Old Testament keep it all together as one word, עַלְמוּת (almut) which can be understood as a musical instruction, such as “sung with a young voice.” Why could it not be both: the tune is “on the death of the son,” and it is intended for the principle instrument: a young voice? David was very specific to include this instruction and while it may be debated as to whether or...

“What is this confidence that you have?” These are the words of an invader. The Assyrian army has seized all the fortified cities of Judah and is now on the doorstep of Jerusalem. The Assyrian king sent three generals to speak with Hezekiah, not face to face, but to shout public humiliations over the wall. Listen to them strip every ounce of hope in the hearing of the people, “You say (but they are only empty words), ‘I have counsel and strength for the war.’ Now on whom do you rely, that you have rebelled against me? . . . Have I come up without the Lord’s approval against this place to destroy it? The Lord said to me, ‘Go up against this land and destroy it.’” (see 2 Kings 18-9-19:37) I am firmly convinced that when J.R.R. Tolkien wrote The Battle of Helm’s Deep in “The Two Towers” he had the Assyrian invasion in mind. Peter Jackson did a fairly good job capturing the scene for us: Yes, I think that is fairly accurate (even of the Assyrians). Psalm 46 was composed during this...

Question: Does God respect people, or not? The Bible says that He respected Abel (Genesis 4:4), the children of Israel (Exodus 2:25; Leviticus 26:9), those who kept His covenant (2 Kings 13:23) and the lowly (Psalm 138:6). Yet, God does not regard persons (Deuteronomy 10:17) and has no respect of persons (2 Chronicles 19:7, Acts 10:34, Romans 2:11, Galatians 2:6, Ephesians 6:9 and Colossians 3:25). How do you answer this contradiction? Answer: Reading the King James Version, the dilemmais easy to understand; however, a simple word study reveals something different. Since we do not speak the English of 1611, we must first check our definitions—does “respect” as we understand the term presently match the understanding of older usages? Consider the word, “prevent”: does it mean, “go before, precede” or does it mean, “keep something from happening?” Since the 1500’s the word “respect” (as a verb) means "treat with deferential regard or esteem." One other point: wha...

Psalm 27 reminds us that God is not only trustworthy, but that He shares that attribute with us; that is, we can be trustworthy too. We should give thanks. If you think about it, the fact that He shares this attribute with us is astounding because I think I’m a pretty good person--sort of like Peter, the Rock—solid, right? Sure, if you look past the hot-headed impulsiveness. The truth of the matter is I need trustworthiness (among so many other things—but trustworthiness is the topic at present) and to get it, I have to look beyond myself, God-ward.   The first two paragraphs of Psalm 27 (verses 1-11) help us learn the principle of trustworthiness and one cannot help but note the repetition of the command, “Do not fret” when we first see the contrast of evildoers against God.   Evildoers cannot be trusted, so don’t get worked up over the fact that someone has done you wrong. Make absolutely certain you don’t envy them and the reason is this: they may be tall and thick, ...

Psalm 24 is a beautiful hymn of praise that can help prepare our hearts for meaningful national day of Thanksgiving. This psalm of David falls neatly into two parts, both “bookended” with a direction to pause, think about what is being said. Verses 1-6 form the first section where we come spiraling in from the outer reaches of space, viewing the earth, the world, its seas and rivers. Then we zoom in on one hill among all hills, and one place out of all places. Interestingly, this place is unlike any other because it is called “His holy place.” Though we realize he is speaking of the “Holy of Holies” within The Temple, the most interesting feature is that God is not limited to this one place as it is located on the earth which just so happens to belong to the LORD. The world and all who dwell in it belong to Him as well. He created the earth it’s seas and hills, yet we ask, “ who may ascend into the hill of the LORD? And who may stand in His holy place? ” We may as well ask, “What rig...

"i can't go on i mean i can't go on i really can't go on i swear i can't go on so i guess i'll get up and go on." --Dory Previn

Question:   Why does the Bible say that Melchizedek is " Without father, without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life ?" Does that mean there are people who did not descend from Adam and Eve? Answer: This verse taken alone seems to say exactly that, doesn't it? The best understanding comes from the context of the verse--we can't leave it in isolation. The subject of the context of the passage is the greateness of Melchizedek in terms of his office (the "priesthood") not his greatness as a person. The source of his priesthood is different than those who descended from Levi. Note: " But this man [Melchizedek] who does not have his descent from them [descendants of Levi] received tithes from Abraham and blessed him who had the promises. " (Hebrews 7:6) His priesthood is different because he was not born into it, as the Levites were. The text even says that in principle the Levites paid tithes to Melch...