new blog:
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Wednesday, April 4, 2012
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Nietzsche and the Martyr (a new poem)
My hope is in ashes.
Maps are flat so we can see
a Globe that was
never meant to be held…
in a single vision.
What is a map that is should escape the fire?
My hope is in ashes.
When wings, from shells, break free
cocoons lie on the floor.
new worlds are seen…
more perfect than before.
What is my body that it should escape the fire?
Maps are flat so we can see
a Globe that was
never meant to be held…
in a single vision.
What is a map that is should escape the fire?
My hope is in ashes.
When wings, from shells, break free
cocoons lie on the floor.
new worlds are seen…
more perfect than before.
What is my body that it should escape the fire?
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
Therefore and So
I haven't posted here in a long time and Rymac has been continually challenging me to do so. So, I guess I will. Here goes it:
I want to write this to call to attention two of the most important words in the Bible: "Therefore" and "so." While I must admit that they don't have quite the glitz and glamor of some other cool biblical words like "atone" or "propitiation," I have been amazed at the power these two words have in the Bible. I urge you to look for these words as you go about your Bible reading. With the Spirit's help they will unlock new and deeper understanding of God's word. Here's why:
Have you ever taken a logic class? In a logic class if you are trying to break down a written argument and put it into standard form, an easy way to do that is to look for buzz words. "Therefore" and "So" are logic buzz words that will help show you what the conclusion the author is coming to. The conclusion is the meaty part, the whole point of it all.
So often when we read the Bible we can gloss over things. We look for cool verses that inspire or convict, but the problem is that these are just singular verses within a much larger context. Not that singular verses are bad, I certainly hope they're not, most of my memorized scripture are singular verses! But the bigger picture is "what is the passage saying? What is the book saying? What is the Bible saying?"
"Therefore" and "so" are words that connect other verses, passages, or ideas with another to make one grander point. When you see these words you need to ask "What is the 'therefore' there for?" I know that's cheesy, but hopefully that will help you remember.
A warning: This will make Bible reading take longer. Often you may read a passage and then the very end will have a "Therefore" or "so" and then you must step back and read it all over again to piece together the argument that the writer is concluding. However, the more often you do this, the more you will begin to piece together larger portions of scripture and begin to have a better of the greater themes of scripture, to the praise and glory of Christ!
Here are a couple of passage that you can read and think about to get you started:
Philippians 1:3-11, John 11:1-6, 1 Corinthians 15:50-58
Soli Deo Gloria!
dj
I want to write this to call to attention two of the most important words in the Bible: "Therefore" and "so." While I must admit that they don't have quite the glitz and glamor of some other cool biblical words like "atone" or "propitiation," I have been amazed at the power these two words have in the Bible. I urge you to look for these words as you go about your Bible reading. With the Spirit's help they will unlock new and deeper understanding of God's word. Here's why:
Have you ever taken a logic class? In a logic class if you are trying to break down a written argument and put it into standard form, an easy way to do that is to look for buzz words. "Therefore" and "So" are logic buzz words that will help show you what the conclusion the author is coming to. The conclusion is the meaty part, the whole point of it all.
So often when we read the Bible we can gloss over things. We look for cool verses that inspire or convict, but the problem is that these are just singular verses within a much larger context. Not that singular verses are bad, I certainly hope they're not, most of my memorized scripture are singular verses! But the bigger picture is "what is the passage saying? What is the book saying? What is the Bible saying?"
"Therefore" and "so" are words that connect other verses, passages, or ideas with another to make one grander point. When you see these words you need to ask "What is the 'therefore' there for?" I know that's cheesy, but hopefully that will help you remember.
A warning: This will make Bible reading take longer. Often you may read a passage and then the very end will have a "Therefore" or "so" and then you must step back and read it all over again to piece together the argument that the writer is concluding. However, the more often you do this, the more you will begin to piece together larger portions of scripture and begin to have a better of the greater themes of scripture, to the praise and glory of Christ!
Here are a couple of passage that you can read and think about to get you started:
Philippians 1:3-11, John 11:1-6, 1 Corinthians 15:50-58
Soli Deo Gloria!
dj
Saturday, March 10, 2007
God and Evil
"If God didn't control evil then evil would go uncontrolled. God uses the things he hates to bring about the things he loves."
So often we hear people say, "How can a loving God allow evil to happen?" In reality we should praise God for His loving compassion for every moment in which we are not consumed. God is in control of evil, if He were not than evil would run rampant. If God were to destroy all evil than all those who are not in Christ would perish. It is best then that God permit evil for now, for the sake of good, to bring salvation to the world. (read 2 Peter 3:8-9)
Far too often we give evil an authority it does not merit when we say that it is in direct opposition to God. That is to say, somewhere in our unconscious we connect things that are rival to be things that carry equal weight. We envision God and evil off somewhere trading punches. That is called dualism and it is not true, God has the power and control over evil, the authority to be provident over evil and the ability to use it for good. For the Bible teaches us, "that for those who love God, all things work together for good." (Romans 8:27) But do not be mistaken, God does not react. He is not some sort of amazing magician that can take a bad situation and turn it around right quick for those who love Him, or an expert card player who just knows how to play his cards. God is the dealer. God has power over evil for the use of good. Not good that He brings about, in spite of evil, but good that he purposely brings about through evil.
So often we hear people say, "How can a loving God allow evil to happen?" In reality we should praise God for His loving compassion for every moment in which we are not consumed. God is in control of evil, if He were not than evil would run rampant. If God were to destroy all evil than all those who are not in Christ would perish. It is best then that God permit evil for now, for the sake of good, to bring salvation to the world. (read 2 Peter 3:8-9)
Far too often we give evil an authority it does not merit when we say that it is in direct opposition to God. That is to say, somewhere in our unconscious we connect things that are rival to be things that carry equal weight. We envision God and evil off somewhere trading punches. That is called dualism and it is not true, God has the power and control over evil, the authority to be provident over evil and the ability to use it for good. For the Bible teaches us, "that for those who love God, all things work together for good." (Romans 8:27) But do not be mistaken, God does not react. He is not some sort of amazing magician that can take a bad situation and turn it around right quick for those who love Him, or an expert card player who just knows how to play his cards. God is the dealer. God has power over evil for the use of good. Not good that He brings about, in spite of evil, but good that he purposely brings about through evil.
Monday, February 12, 2007
My Birthday
"I'm telling you broseph, if you ever get an ish and have the opportunity to take her out on a gondola ride then you gotta do it. It was way awesome. Plus, rumor has it that every time you cross under a bridge you're supposed to kiss. I mean, if you're not at the point in your relationship than I guess it could be pretty awkward...but you could always find a creative way of getting around that. I didn't. But you certainly could."
Tuesday, February 6, 2007
Wise words from the Rymac
"Whenever I read from the Word and I come across something that rocks my world, I always say to myself, 'touche.'"
Dorm Revival
"It was shaky...you got the point across and God was glorified...but you certainly weren't. "
Sometimes it just has to be told like it is.
Sometimes it just has to be told like it is.
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