Broken Bread Dinner

My friend Jon Kelley is organizing a dinner to assist those who are suffering from AIDS. Check it out. I also attached a brief description from the primary organizer.

My friends, the “Broken Bread Dinner” will be held on April 1st at 7:00 pm in the La Sala Ballroom on ASU’s West campus (43rd Ave. and Thunderbird.) We are hoping to have two hundred plus people attend this event from ASU West YL, ASU’s West campus and various valley churches. This event will be a collaboration of faith-based organizations and our campus at ASU West to increase the awareness among students at ASU and people throughout the valley. That night we will only be serving water and porridge, provided by World Vision, to give all who attend the opportunity to reflect upon the hunger and pain that millions of people experience daily around the world. We will be showing clips from the documentary, “A Closer Walk”, listening to our speaker Bo White, from Food for the Hungry, advertising Invisible Children’s “Displace Me” and raising donations for World Vision and Blood:Water Mission. At the dinner we will also be selling tickets to a benefit concert on April 27th at Alice Cooperstown in downtown Phoenix.

The dinner is free and open to anyone, so please come. This event is being organized and run by college students who have a dream for a better world, and it is our hope that through this dinner you can catch our vision too.

If you have any other questions about the “Broken Bread Dinner,” please can contact me by phone or by email. You can also access our website and register by going to www.brokenbreadmeal.com.

Emily Harman
brokenbread@ylasuwest.com

contextualizing our lives

I was reading a modern translation of the book of Daniel the other day. I came across a sentence that caught my attention.

"In every way that is unimportant, let them make us Chaldeans."

Daniel was removed (enslaved) from Palestine and brought into Babylon, a foreign land with many different customs. These people were often referred to as Chaldeans. Daniel chose to become like them in all ways that are unimportant. Thus, they had no trouble with name changes.

And yet I have a question for Daniel. How did he determine what issues are considered "unimportant?"

We learn early on in the book that food and wine were a big issues for him and his friends. He refused to eat the royal food or wine. Why was this a big deal to Daniel? Was this purely a conscience issue based on food sacrificed to idols?

This cannot be the case since 1) that'll be reading a New Testament problem into the Old Testament and 2) he refrained from drinking wine too, which neither the Old Testament nor New Testament prohibits.

It seems that sharing food at ones table was a sign of friendship. Daniel wanted it to be clear that he was no friend of the king. The implications of this principle are a bit interesting.

Is it acceptable for someone to use a four-letter word in an environment where four-letter words are common as long as one refrains from entering into friendships with non-Christian people who use four-letter words?

Basically, should we determine the unimportant aspects of our lives by the relationship they create between us and the people of the world? Can I be best-friends with a drug dealer?

Does James 5:4, "friendship with the world is hatred toward God," mean anything in this discussion?

What is "unimportant?"

Blogging Rules

I'm excited to see more people interacting with my blog. It's been fun reading the responses.

I think it would even be more fun if the following rules are followed.

1) No anonymous posts please. If you don't have the courage to post your convictions then you may need to refrain from posting a reply. Moreover, blogs are great places for us to get to know each other better. Let's take advantage of this opportunity. It's also difficult for me to reply to "anonymous" if there are six anonymous responses! So add your name!

2) No ad hominem arguments. Ad hominem is a type of argument that appeals to the emotions rather than logic or reason. They usually take the form of attacking an opponent's motives. This style of argument never seeks to discover the truth. Please refrain from using it.

3) Be clear and concise. Don't ramble.

4) Remember the power of the tongue! Many of us have been convicted by our tongues since we've been going through the Book of James. Let's be slow to speak (or type!). Remember that once you hit "publish" it's too late.

all sins not equal

I heard someone say something like, "All sins are the same in God's eyes." I assume they say this in order to 1) encourage those who are broken from their sins that God doesn't play favorites and 2) humble those who take pride in their perceived holiness.

Unfortunately, I fear that this statement is wrong. Even though the conclusion is good I think the premise is poor. It is correct to say that all sins separate us from God. But all sins are NOT the same in God's eyes.

Jesus says to Pilate referring to Caiaphas, "You have no authority over Me, unless it had been given you from above; for this reason he [Caiaphas] who delivered Me to You has the greater sin." (John 19:11)

As High Priest, Caiaphas should have known better than to deliver his Messiah over to death. It's as Jesus says, "[the] slave who knew his master's will and did not get ready or act in accord with his will, will receive many lashes..." (Luke 12:47) As compared to the few lashes received by the ignorant slave.

I think this false principle stems from a misunderstanding of the doctrine of sin. All sin separates us from God. (see Romans 3:23) This is very true! But that doesn't necessarily mean that all sin is the same. We can see this just by looking at the various consequences of our sin. The unfortunate reality is that some sins have greater consequences than others. So also some sins are greater than others in God's eyes. God doesn't see a murderer and a thief the same even though both sins separate them from God for eternity.

And yet we must preach that God doesn't play favorites. Our good works done in unrighteousness are filthy rags to God. If one wants to encourage those who are broken from their sins that God is full of grace towards all people no matter the magnitude of their sin, then I recommend taking them to Ephesians 2 where Paul says, "It is by Grace you are saved;" or 1 Timothy 1 where Paul admits that God shown him mercy so that the "worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience."

What do you think?

The 7 Deadly Sins

The Roman Catholic Church developed a list of vices to educate humanity on the various temptations that may overtake us. I found this list helpful in classifying the root of my sins. Until recently, I never knew that the Roman Catholic Church also recognizes Seven Holy Virtues which correspond to each of the Seven Deadly Sins.

Vice                               Virtue
Lust (excessive sexual appetites)  Chastity (purity of soul)
Gluttony (over-indulgence)         Temperance (self-restraint)
Greed (avarice)                    Charity (giving)
Sloth (idleness)                   Diligence (zeal/integrity)
Wrath (anger)                      Forgiveness (composure)
Envy (jealousy)                    Kindness (admiration)
Pride (vanity)                     Humility (humbleness)

It's interesting to know that a debate has ensued about the sin which encompasses the others. For instance, is lust an over-indulgence of sexuality or a laziness (sloth) to be chaste or a self-centered desire to please oneself (pride)?

What do you think?

Guess Who (or What)?

My friend Nate has posted a blog that is worthy of being reposted here. Is that the "French Fork" I see!

Feel free to guess which beard he's sporting.

Handling Criticism

In an article found in the Journal of Biblical Counseling, Alfred Poirer points out that the cross is our greatest critic; so let's be slower to anger when someone criticizes us.

"In light of God's judgment and justification of the sinner in the cross of Christ, we can begin to discover how to deal with any and all criticism. By agreeing with God's criticism of me in Christ's cross, I can face any criticism man may lay against me. In other words, no one can criticize me more than the cross has. And the most devastating criticism turns out to be the finest mercy. If you thus know yourself as having been crucified with Christ, then you can respond to any criticism, even mistaken or hostile criticism, without bitterness, defensiveness, or blame-shifting."

contextualizing the Gospel or moral decadence

I'm beginning to hear more and more Christian pastors using four-letter words. I'm not sure what to make of this. Part of me sees this as an issue of conscience. I think, "If it doesn't offend anybody, then it's helpful in contextualizing the gospel in such a way that others can feel its relevancy." Basically, it removes the barriers that seem to keep "sinners" from church.

But I don't use this language. Why? I believe our culture still views these words as filthy language, inappropriate for a saint. Wayne Grudem wrote an email to John Piper about this very issue. Apparently, Piper used an "inappropriate" word in an breakout session at Passion07. (Piper later posted a message on his website explaining why he regrets using such a word.) Grudem's argument is similar to my gut instinct. Our language reflects the God we represent. How would our immediate audience view this word?

John MacArthur wrote an article on this topic too!

What do you think? Is it appropriate to use "foul" language? If so, which words are appropriate? Also, when is it appropriate to use this language?

UPDATED: Is it kosher for a girl to ask out a guy?

I was reading Ruth a couple of nights ago and came across something interesting.

One day Naomi her mother-in-law said to her, "My daughter, should I not try to find a home for you, where you will be well provided for? Is not Boaz, with whose servant girls you have been, a kinsman of ours? Tonight he will be winnowing barley on the threshing floor. Wash and perfume yourself, and put on your best clothes. Then go down to the threshing floor...

When Boaz had finished eating and drinking and was in good spirits, he went over to lie down at the far end of the grain pile. Ruth APPROACHED quietly, uncovered his feet and lay down. In the middle of the night something startled the man, and he turned and discovered a woman lying at his feet. "Who are you?" he asked. "I am your servant Ruth," she said. "Spread the corner of your garment over me, since you are a kinsman-redeemer."

"The Lord bless you my daughter," he replied. "This kindness is greater than that which you showed earlier: YOU HAVE NOT RUN AFTER YOUNGER MEN, whether rich or poor. And now, my daughter, don't be afraid. I will do for you ALL YOU ASK..." (Ruth 3)

Did I just read this correctly? Did Ruth approach Boaz to be her husband? I'm not sure if this passage is descriptive of early Israelite life or prescriptive for us to follow, but it sure is interesting.

Unfortunately, commentators aren't sure what to make of it either. Other than what the Bible tells us, we have very little knowledge about the customs of the Ancient Near East. Even the first readers of Ruth were a bit ignorant about some of the practices taking place (see Ruth 4:7).

So here's the question to be answered: Is it kosher for a girl to ask out a guy? That is, is it against biblical teachings, such as gender roles; or is it entirely hinged upon cultural upbringing? But more importantly, does Ruth give girls an example to follow?

UPDATE: I ask this question purely because I'm often asked by female leaders whether or not it's appropriate for a girl to ask out a guy. My response is that it's generally out of character for a girl to ask out a guy. But I don't see it as sin per se. I do question the role reversal that seems to have taken place as of late. Men have a natural tendency to be lazy. Are we enabling men to continue in sloth? (See "7 Deadly Sins" post.)

Why baptize?

We're baptizing believers this Sunday at somanorth. I thought it would be useful for some of you to understand the significance and reason for baptizing followers of Christ.

In the new book Believer's Baptism: Sign of the New Covenant in Christ (ed. Thomas R. Schreiner and Shawn D. Wright; Nashville: B & H, 2007), Andreas Kostenberger's Chapter argues that the Gospels teach us that baptism:

1) is designed for believers who have repented of their sin and have put their faith in God and in his Christ,
2) is an essential part of Christian discipleship,
3) is always shown to be full immersion,
4) and presupposes spiritual regeneration.

It sounds like a good read. You can buy it here.

Sermon on the Mount Notes

Presently, we're moving through the Letter of James at somanorth. Since much of James' writing has been taken from the Sermon on the Mount, I thought it would be useful to post John DelHousaye's notes on the Sermon on the Mount. John is Assistant Professor of New Testament at Phoenix Seminary. Enjoy!

FREE Seminary Courses

Covenant Theological Seminaryis offering free courses via podcast. I've been through half of "Christ-Centered Preaching" and it has been extremely insightful. Here's a list of the free courses offered by Covenant. I've noticed that it has expanded greatly since its inception.

* Ancient & Medieval Church History
* Apologetics & Outreach
* Biblical Theology
* Calvin's Institutes
* Christ-Centered Preaching: Preparation and Delivery of Sermons
* Christian Ethics
* Christian Worship
* Francis A. Schaeffer: The Early Years
* Francis A. Schaeffer: The Later Years
* God & His Word
* God's World Mission
* Hebrews to Revelation
* Humanity, Christ & Redemption
* Life & Letters of Paul
* Life & Teachings of Jesus
* New Testament History
* Old Testament History
* Psalms & Wisdom Books
* Reformation & Modern Church History
* Spirit, Church, & Last Things
* Youth Ministry

my mix

I've been asked to post a mix with songs representing the various moods of my life.

1. "silly and loud" she don't use jelly by Flaming Lips

2. "macho" testosterone by Bush

3. "Jesus is Life" In Christ Alone / Nothing But the Blood by Rita Springer

4. "i got you in my sights" The Root by D'Angelo

5. "Jesus Returns as a Warrior to Kill Sin, Persecutors, Cancer, Starvation, The Devil, and All That Is Evil" Paranoid Android by Radiohead

Beauty

smooth curves begging the eyes
shiny hair, american thighs
balanced perfection
flawless complexion
cunning girl to our demise

This poem stems from Proverbs 31:30. It reads, "Charm is deceitful and BEAUTY IS VAIN." Proverbs has many such warnings about the deceitfulness of beauty and passion (See Proverbs 5). I felt that our society is enslaved to the idea that beauty is all that counts. So I wrote a poem to demonstrate the error in this thinking. Judging by beauty ALONE can be very dangerous.

It's interesting to note that all the proverbs were originally written as a guidebook from a father to a son. (See Proverbs 1:8) Hence, I was originally going to entitle this "To My Son." But that sounded silly since I don't have any kids.
What do you think?

300 Reviewed by Asbury Theologian

Ben Witherington, Asbury Theologian, reviews Miller's 300.

Disappointment

"Blessed are those who expect nothing from God, for they shall not be disappointed."

I'm finding this to be the beatitude of this generation. Where has hope gone?

snowflakes

The voice of God reminds me of fresh snowfall. The land is plain; all is familiar and gray. Then they come down, hundreds and thousands of weightless perfection. One would hardly notice them landing on your head. Unlike rain, they carry with them no sound to interrupt important thoughts. Then, when one returns to inspect the land, all is transformed.

Perhaps I should spend more time watching it snow.