Head-dibs

[ Friends, I will be offline until sometime in early March because I am relocating my family from a mobile home into a house--we may be bringing my mom up to live with us in the summer, so we are making changes with that in mind. Prayers are appreciated . If I am at all able, I will try to make one more post before the end of the month--a little something I have planned to tide you over until I return. In the meantime, here is something to think about this time of year . . .] By Daryl Wingerd Fat Tuesday is another name for Mardis Gras, the raucous annual parade and party held in the streets of New Orleans, Louisiana. The tradition is many centuries old and was originally known as Carnival. It is held in various places around the world under different names. Mardis Gras (or Fat Tuesday) is the American version. Carnival comes from a combination of Latin words meaning "farewell to the flesh." There is a great deal of irony in that name because Fat Tuesday is by no means a time...

It just slipped out. I did not really intend to say it; nevertheless, I said it. I really don't know it was on my mind until after I said it. And when I said it I could'nt believe I had actually said it. What I said was, "oh how cute!" The words just . . . fell out! Honest! What drew me was the open door when all the others were closed, locked perhaps. Nothing was pink or fuzzy nor did it have frills or any sort of dainty intricate design. It was just small. Perhaps no more than 10 people could have fit in at any one time. Light spilled in through three panels of color on one end of the room, a small padded bench underneath. The lectern stood sentinel in the corner. The piano waited patiently on the opposite wall. It was quiet, the lights low. All I could think of was ''cute." This bothered me because that was really not what I wanted to say. I really wanted to say, “Woe is me, I am undone.” But it did not come out that way. Here was a...

“ While Israel remained at Shittim, the people began to play the harlot with the daughters of Moab. For they invited the people to the sacrifices of their gods, and the people ate and bowed down to their gods. So Israel joined themselves to Baal of Peor, and the Lord was angry against Israel .” (Numbers 25:1-3) Satan through the world has two ways to attack the godly: up front and with great stealth. Moab had tried already to come against Israel with arms, even with a professional cursor, but he enemy of Israel failed both fights. But they had another weapon that, in effect, exploded in the lap of Israel. While Moab could not stand against Israel in the open, they attacked in worship. Worship, of all places! Who ever thought of that tactic? Whoda thunk warfare could occur in worship . . . I’ve been hung up on this one set of verses all day because of the quiet way God is teaching me through His Holy Spirit. I just can’t get over the fact that the people have the presence of God in thei...

Bishop J.C.Ryle (1816 - 1900) could perhaps be received as an anomaly to Baptistic life and thought. Though he was an ordained clergy in the Church of England, or Anglican Church, J.C. Ryle is one who many would love to claim, and it is good for Baptists to take notice. His work, " Warnings to the Churches: Pharisees and Sadducees " is not a work out of date and should not to be ignored or minimized. The foundation of Ryle's urgent exposition is simply " Then Jesus said unto them, Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees " (Matthew 16:6) of which we are quickly reminded that "every word spoken by the Lord Jesus is full of deep instruction for Christians" and "is of the greatest value." People of the Book, pay attention! The book is a sermon divided into four major points, each admonishing the believer first to observe whom the warning of the text was addressed; second, to understand the dangers the Lord warned ...

nateNotes: [!] A Tale of Two Knights Apologists, must read! (be sure to refer to parts 2 and 3).

Well on their way in their wandering, Korah and sons all rebel; God judges the men of those houses to be an example for Israel. The next day those people's own grumble 'gainst Moses and Aaron was heard; God judged all that loud congregation who lifted a contrary word. The priesthood received confirmation "Every devoted thing yours;" Then purified through the Red Heifer, The unclean and clean are made sure. Miriam dies in the desert, the people assemble, complain; Moses in anger strikes rock-ward, Instead of just speaking again. Edom refuses their passage, And Aaron, he dies in his place; Then tension with Canaan's king Arad caused Israel to search for God's face. The people again gripe and grumble, God judges that lot with those snakes; But looking to Moses' Bronze Serpent Brings life in those poisonous stakes. The journey continues with battles, the Lord giving great victory; And Balaam says backwardly curses Despite all he says or can see.

“For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.” I didn’t know who he was, but he came highly recommended and was received with great flare and panache. He came to guide our church through a Sunday School Revival one Spring. I remember distinctly the first message he preached on Isaiah 54:2, “ Enlarge the place of your tent; stretch out the curtains of your dwellings, spare not; lengthen your cords and strengthen your pegs .” That message really impacted me back in 1988. And I remember telling him so. His response, “stick with me this week and you will learn more than you will ever learn in Bible College or Seminary.” And He was right. One of the great things he said that week concerned the life of the local church that I have personalized and applied to my own life; after all, as Spurgeon says, it begins with me. He said, “there are three ways to look at the church [my life]: it grows, maintains, or dies. And ...

Scripture quoting is now being equated with plagiarism, being non-original, and close-mindedness to new and continuing revelation; I hear more on universalism, less on eternal punishment; More on the mercy of God, less on His wrath; More on free will, less on responsibility; More on destiny, less on Sovereignty; More on maintaining "the walk," less on growing in faith or warnings against backsliding; More on getting through our stuff, less on divine healing and deliverance; More on convention, less on conviction; More on time management, less on Sabbath and Sabbath-breaking; More on leaving the past behind, less on the Second Coming; More on managing your money, less on the stewardship of all God has entrusted; More on "the cutting edge", less from the cutting edge; More pointing to the Bible, less pointing from the Bible; More on method, less on message. “Know this also, that in the last days grievous times will be at hand. For men will be self-lovers, money-love...

God sees everything. Proof of this is found in Numbers 7, where it is recorded the leaders of Israel all gave their offerings, one person representing each tribe. The detail is astounding—each offering is identical—and God noticed and inspired that each offering be recorded in each detail. Another wonderful sequence of events is in the following chapters. The Levites are brought before the people and are consecrated before the LORD then Israel celebrates the first Passover since the Exodus, not to forget an explanation of how the cloud directed the movements of the Israelites. While this is on my mind: we are getting ready to move again. Seems like we move a lot. But not as much as these people! Notice the text says that when the glory of the LORD went up, they moved! Sometimes they would be in one place for a few days, a couple of weeks, months or years! That last statement ought to make one think . . . does the writer know something everyone else does not, or is he writing in retrosp...

[President's Chapel] Songs: “Joy to the world.“ “Come thou long Expected Jesus.“ “O little town.” “Emmanuel.” “Thou didst leave thy throne.” Text: John 2:1-17; Isa. 6:3 All divine repetition is essential to emphasize the purity and perfection of our Triune God. God is seen 6:1,5. And we pray “Open the eyes of our hearts that we may see you.” Are we ready to see what Isaiah saw? [ I've been saying that for a long time! ] The God Isaiah saw and the God John wrote of are the same—they both record their experience with the joy-giver and temple-cleanser. Who did Isaiah see? God the Son, a Theophany. A physical manifestation of God, also seen in the Angel of the LORD in other passages. John 12:37-41 Unbelief in Jesus as God Incarnate is a fulfillment of prophecy. Isaiah saw Jesus and he was afraid. This is who the seraphim saw and covered themselves. Is there a significant difference between the God of the OT and the God of the NT? Deut 4:24, 31. The same God! Heb 4:16 I AM t...

Every Sunday night I take my daughter to her AWANA club that begins each meeting upstairs in our family Life Center at church (our Family Life Center has three floors). Every once and-a-while I will take the elevator up and if I time it right am able to catch a couple of children less willing to take the stairs. As everyone Knows (it must be one of the unwritten laws of the universe) one or more child or Children must punch the buttons. I remember as a small child (between 8 and 11) how I often drifted from shopping mall to shopping mall with my mom who made her living as a starving artist selling her paintings at art shows--many of which would be held in the halls of a shopping mall somewhere. I learned how to keep myself busy in most locations during those long weekends by doing such things as commandeering the local elevator. I hated sidewalk shows, for obvious reasons. Yes, I was once King button-boy. Everybody who got into my box went nowhere unless I poked the button. Occasional...

“ Surely our griefs He Himself bore, and our sorrows He carried; Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, and by His scourging we are healed. All of us like sheep have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; but the Lord has caused the iniquity of us all to fall on Him .” Spurgeon was right . . . we are just too busy. We would really like to spend time thinking about it, perhaps weeping over it, but business calls, duty demands, a promise we made to someone somewhere must be fulfilled—just can’t think about it NOW. We’ll come back to it later, maybe tonight. If not then, then later for certain or perhaps another day. “Believer in Jesus,” Spurgeon writes, “can you gaze upon Him without tears, as He stands before you the mirror of agonizing love?” Spurgeon even tells himself, “My soul, stand here and weep over His ...

You are very sure that the so-called “wine” in the Bible was unfermented grape juice. (It was unfermented, wasn’t it?) You call dancing “creative movement” or call a dance a “function.” You think those Northern Baptists (American Baptists) are a bunch of liberals. Your parents or your grandparents used to be Methodist. You have to stand behind a wooden lectern to teach a class, any class. You’ve ever made a pilgrimage to Glorieta or Ridgecrest–or you at least know where those places are. Your pastor attended Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary at some time in his academic career. Your pastor doesn’t wear a robe, but the choir does wear robes and people who are getting baptized wear white robes. Someone in your church says “amen” a couple of times during the sermon when the preacher makes a good point, but no one ever shouts. You don’t raise your hands to praise God during the music, but you tolerate those who do. You call any kind of Bible study on Sunday night “Training Union” o...

If I could summarize Number 4-6 in one word it would be “separation.” The words of the LORD from the tabernacle in their midst are directed to God’s people as it relates to the ministry of service; cleanliness, sin and infidelity; and, voluntary separation. Earlier, we understood how the Levites were separated out from the rest of the people of God. Now there yet another subdivision of the Levitical families: the Kohathites (4:1-15), the Gershonites (4:21-18) and the Merarites (4:29-33). Aaron and his son Elieazar are the general supervisors of the entire tabernacle (4:16-20). I imagine that being a Levite was fearful experience, especially one who was responsible to move the tabernacle furniture. I noticed the Kohathites of all the Levites were forbidden access to these things. “The term used for their active “service” is a very interesting one. It is used in other passages for other pursuits, e.g. military service (Num. 1:3; it is the word in modern Hebrew for army service too); ha...