selah

"I Like Ike?" Current Suffering and a Call for an Age-to-Come Reoriention of the Christian Faith

2008-09-12T15:32:00.008-04:00

Brethren, I speak in terms of human relations: even though it is only a man’s covenant, yet when it has been ratified, no one sets it aside or adds conditions to it. Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. He does not say, “and to seeds,” as referring to many, but rather to one, “And to your seed,” that is,

From Riding "the Bus" to probably Ridiculous

2005-09-05T13:51:00.000-04:00

I thought I would just post some random things that have happend/are happening currently in my life, and some less theologically deep things that I have been considering.The first thing I'd like to do is give a shout out to my roommate, John McClure. A few nights ago while conversing in John's room, I was getting quite tired. I said I was going to get going, so that I could go to bed, and John

Eight Cars, Chips & Salsa, and Phileo

2005-09-03T13:40:00.000-04:00

Last night my good friend Mike and I went to Chiles after I finished work (we only worked for three hours because we only parked eight cars--and valeting eight cars is not a good night, we normally park around twenty). Mike was craving some chips and salsa because he didn't have any when he was overseas this summer. All that we got at Chiles was chips and salsa, and a couple of waters, and just

Katrina, Iraq, and the War of the Kingdoms

2005-09-02T15:17:00.000-04:00

I regret my inability to find time to post anything meaningful on the events that have been occurring throughout the world. This past week has been crazy, emotional, and extremely busy. Through it all I have been able to learn much—in fact, I have been experiencing an information overload as I have been constantly reading for school, taking in all that has been taught in class (which has

Television as Decor!

2005-09-01T11:21:00.000-04:00

There sits my television...it seems like it merely takes up space in the living room. Rabbit ears sticking up, cherry-finished stand underneath, and that big beautiful black reflective screen. Not many years ago (maybe about 4-6) the television was in constant use. I used to play video games on it all the time, I watched movies somewhat frequently, and I actually had some clue as to what was on

Ohio: Truly the Heart of It All!

2005-08-31T13:44:00.000-04:00

While some people think that I am weird for my new attention to inciting Ohio state pride (not Ohio State pride—I’m actually a Michigan fan), I believe that I have good reason. Many other states have pride about their state (some more than others, some weirder than others). Some are proud that their state was one of the original 13 and that their state helped gain America’s independence (i.e.

A Happy Birthday Post to Leslie Follmar

2005-08-25T08:09:00.000-04:00

Happy Birthday Leslie! I just thought everyone should know so that they could post comments on your weblog and send you all sorts of pictures of you with famous theologians. I hope that you have a great birthday and that you enlighten us all on how your birthday/birthday weekend go.

A Birthday Shout out to McAndrews!

2005-08-24T19:50:00.000-04:00

Yes folks, it's that day of the year again...the time when Andy, in his Irish rage and Southern Ohio disposition celebrates his birthday (if you know Andy, you understand what I mean). Here is a short, and definitely not exhaustive list of what Andy will be doing/has done today:1) Lay around all day...for reasons I will not mention due to how they would demean Andy.2) Open gifts which include a

Discipline, or the Lack Thereof, and the Detriment Done to the Body of Christ

2005-08-22T00:47:00.000-04:00

Despite the Puritan-style title, this article will be concise, but hopefully potent. Articles on this issue require potency in a period in the life of the Church in which churches (I specifically have evangelical churches in mind here) tend to minimize church discipline for many reasons. All of these reasons are selfish, arrogant, and audacious. It is not my concern here to

The Theological Implications of Bananas in the Parking Lot

2005-08-15T01:07:00.000-04:00

After Uche (he's back in Louisville) and I dropped off Joy at her apartment (Joy used to be our boss = banquet capitan), we saw a bunch of bananas (like, 7 or so bananas in a bunch) sitting on the ground in Joy's parking lot. The bananas looked fine and quite tasty. It was quite random to see bananas just sitting in a parking lot. My presumption is that somebody accidentally left them while

Constantine: Bad Theology Then and Now

2005-08-11T16:49:00.000-04:00

I recently viewed the movie Constantine with Keanu Reeves (I got it free from Blockbuster because it was guaranteed to be there, and it wasn't there--this is a great way to get movies) and was not greatly surprised. The movie lived up to the reputation of its namesake--it misunderstood the Christian conception of the universe and had awful theology. The understanding of God and the universe

Sucking the Blood out of Evolution

2005-08-09T00:25:00.000-04:00

I was watching a program on television Saturday night (I don't know what the name of the program was, what time it was, or what station it was on--though it was a local Louisville station), and I found out some of the coolest things. The show was hosted by some Australian guy who was looking for animals that live off blood. The animal that I found must interesting that he studied was the leech.

A Thought For Guys

2005-08-03T14:47:00.000-04:00

This post is specifically for guys, but that doesn't mean that women can't read it.I recently read an "away message" that said, "When a guy opens a car door for a woman, it is either a new car, or a new woman." I'm afraid that there is probably far too much truth in this statement--thought hopefully not for every guy who reads this.The key to happiness is being content and delighting in the Lord

B A Ware, Open Theism! A Few Comments

2005-08-03T10:28:00.000-04:00

So, I drafted this in May sometime. I don't think I was finished with what I wanted to say, but I can't remember what else I wanted to say, so here is what I wrote back then.I have just finished reading Bruce A. Ware's God's Lesser Glory: The Dimished God of Open Theism. Dr. Ware has done an excellent job of describing the Open Theist view, showing this view's inadequecies, and refuting the

Desperate Women, Desperate Measures, Desperate Times!

2005-07-30T02:10:00.000-04:00

"In that day seven women will take hold of one man and say, "We will eat our own food and provide our own clothes; only let us be called by your name. Take away our disgrace!" (Isaiah 4:1, NIV text) The situation concerning which Isaiah prophecied is not far from true in our own day. So many women do not know what it means to be a woman, neither do they know what it means to be a

Twelve Stones Cry ‘Historical Theism’

2005-07-20T11:07:00.000-04:00

Joshua “said to the sons of Israel, ‘When your children ask their fathers in time to come, saying, ‘What are these stones?’ then you shall inform your children saying, ‘Israel crossed this Jordan on dry ground.’ For the LORD your God dried up the waters of the Jordan before you until you had crossed, just as the LORD your God had done to the Red Sea, which He dried up before you until we had

Hurricanes, Diseases, and Wars: Oh, My! or Praise Be to God?

2005-07-19T00:08:00.000-04:00

In January I posted an article on God’s sovereignty in the Southeast Asian Tsunami. My conclusion was simple: God was and is in control of the tsunami and its aftermath, and yet, despite our flawed thinking and feelings, God is merciful, good, and loving. To this I received mostly negative feedback, even though my article pointed out that what I was saying is

Independence Day and Church: What do you think?

2005-07-04T23:11:00.000-04:00

Brothers and sisters in Christ (and even those who are neighbors, but not fellow Christians), I would like feed back on this topic.Often for the United States day of Independence (July 4), churches will hold a service that commemorates this American holiday—celebrating the founding of the nation and the freedoms that come along with it. Often this will include singing the Star Spangled Banner, a

Lemonflation

2005-06-18T15:17:00.000-04:00

So, as I returned from the bank, there were some children sitting out on the sidewalk in front of their house selling Lemonade (on the way to the bank they pleaded with me to stop, but I just drove on since I wanted to get to the bank so I wouldn't forget what I had to do). I pulled up and the older sister (maybe 7 or 8) tells me her friend will be right back with the lemonade, since they were

Previous Post of the Week 6/13-6/19

2005-06-15T10:05:00.000-04:00

So, some of you may be thinking, what has happend to Lenny? Has he fallen off his rocker? Did he forget to pay his electric bill? Has he forsaken the faith? The answer to all of this is "no"--except possibly the one about falling off my rocker. I have just been busy as of late and so I have had no time to write anything. I was preaching for the past couple of weeks at a small church, I am

OHIO!

2005-06-10T14:30:00.000-04:00

"O-HI-O!" Here is Andy (McAndrews!), Chris, the Colonel, Steve, and I sitting at the Colonel Sanders Museum in southern Kentucky. This is from our trip to Tennessee in July of 2004. It was quite an adventure--and it was spur of the moment (Andy, Steve, and I decided at 4:00 PM that we wanted to go to Vegas, but a one way ticket was $65 (with no guarantee of a returning flight). So we decided we'd

Previous Post of the Week: 6/6-6/12

2005-06-08T00:55:00.000-04:00

Announcing this week's Previous Post of the Week: The Justice of Hell: Why a Loving, Merciful God Requires Hell. It is the lie of the devil to make people believe that Judgment is not coming and that Hell is only a temporary place where people’s sins are purged or where people are annihilated. This is seared into peoples’ consciences to excuse them (in their own minds) from not preaching and/

2005-06-08T00:52:00.000-04:00

Go Planet! This is from back when I was a break-dancin' environmentalist. Oh yeah, that green hair is definitely my natural color. And I'm not really 4', Charles is just 6'4".

Previous Post of the Week 5/30-6/5

2005-06-01T01:06:00.000-04:00

This may be my only post this week, as I am very busy with work, preparing for class next week, preparing for class in a few weeks, and writing some sermons for Sunday, as I have been blessed with the opportunity to preach at a small baptist church in Indiana for the next two weeks.This week's highlighted previous post is: Give Us This Day Our Daily Bread.Being American, I scarcely know what it

Previous Post of the Week: 5:23-29

2005-05-27T12:18:00.000-04:00

This week's highlighted previous post: Whatever Happend to Sin?When we preach the Law, people come to see their own sinfulness. They see they are liars, thieves, murderers (at least in their heart, cf. Matthew 5:21-22), adulterers (at least in their heart, cf. Matthew 5:27-28), coveters, blasphemers (they use God’s name as a curse word), idolaters, and in fact, completely worshipers of false

Libertarian Free Will: Does This View Uphold Human Responsibility?

2005-05-25T01:41:00.000-04:00

Libertarian Free Will (Indeterminism), the view held by the majority of people today, sets forth the notion that the human will is completely autonomous. In other words, the human will is completely free from any determining factors (including personal motives, inducements, or the person's settled character). The human will is seen as acting "independently of determining causes or influences,

The Duty of a Christian Man: The Delight of a Husband

2005-05-22T22:43:00.000-04:00

Do not misinterpret the title; I am in no way implying or asserting that every Christian man has to get married/be married. I hold a great respect for those who remain single for the service of the kingdom; and the Bible does also. The reward in heaven for such self-sacrificial service is great. The Bible is clear, however, that a married man’s chief responsibility

An emerging waste of time?

2005-05-20T15:15:00.000-04:00

Weblogs... they are kind of like local newspapers. You get news/stories quickly, but they are all with a slant (you can see the writer's agenda, worldview, and views on the issue without even trying), and they come at a sacrifice of confirmed facts (not always, but they aren't quite as solid as say, a magazine or a text book). So should we give time to this art of weblogging? Or should we give it

20/20: Was Jesus Really Resurrected?

2005-05-18T22:00:00.000-04:00

This Friday, May 20, at 10:00 pm EST (that's 9:00 pm Central, and sometime after that for those of you on the other half of the country), ABC's program, 20/20, will be considering the historicity of the resurrection of Jesus Christ--probably the most central tenet of the Christian faith. In a special hour on "20/20," Elizabeth Vargas and ABC News take viewers on an extraordinary journey into

A Real Saab Story.

2005-05-18T00:28:00.000-04:00

So I was walking from the Willow (that's the hip name for my work--1400 Willow) to my car after work and the only car parked anywhere near mine was a Saab. And, I made $11 in tips tonight.(I'm actually testing to see if the "I made X amount of money" works as well at making lame stories socially acceptable as saying "And then I found X amount of money.")

Previous Post of the Week

2005-05-16T15:12:00.000-04:00

I will highlight one post that I posted previously each week. This will be so that those posts which I feel are relevant/important will be more easily accessible to all of you. This week's highlighted previous post:Take Up Thy Cross! A Call to Intamacy; A Command for SalvationIf a person wishes to save this life, the next will be forfeited. Only by hating this life and submitting to God’s

Apostacy, Plague, and Propitiation: Numbers 16

2005-05-14T14:31:00.000-04:00

Numbers 16 This is a simple exposition of Numbers 16. The Rebellion Korah, in his rebellion, opposed Moses’ and Aaron’s divine responsibility/position of authority and headship over the nation of Israel. Korah and his men claimed what was not rightfully theirs’—that is, the mediatorial (if that isn’t a word, I dub it a word,

Is Theology Important?

2005-05-14T00:06:00.000-04:00

(I have previously posted this elsewhere--but I feel that I should post it on this venue as well; and I should have done so long ago). Theology has been given a bad name in the church today. Many people see theology as a weapon used by radical Bible-bashing-out-of-sync-fundamentalists who just want to win arguments and degrade people. It is seen as impractical, leading only to knowledge, and

Naturalism, ID, and Presuppositions

2005-05-11T02:00:00.000-04:00

So, I'm going to accept the fact that most people aren't going to take the time to read my weblog because it's just too long (though Dr. Schreiner found the time to read my Resurrection post, and I'd personally suggest that you should too), and continue as usual. So to you all who don't read my posts just because they're too long, I guess just read the stuff that sounds interesting to

School's Out for Summer?!

2005-05-10T13:21:00.000-04:00

I finished my exams this morning. Unfortunately, I don't think I did as well as I would have liked to have done... but I don't think it'll hurt my grade too badly. Tonight I start my job as a valet at 1400 Willow. I start at Dick's on Monday. So, what should I do now that it's summer...ah, vacation?Should I:Sleep in as much as possible, just read books for pleasure, and do as little as I can?

Pray or Praise?

2005-05-09T13:27:00.000-04:00

Pastor Schreiner yesterday finished up Ephesians, starting from 6:18 and ending the book. Most of the time of the sermon was spent talking about prayer. In it he made some good points, but one struck me as alarming true. I have heard it said, and Pastor Schreiner has as well, that the prayers of mature believers will be spent praising God rather than asking for things from Him. I agree with

Simple Exposition of Matthew 28:18-20

2005-05-08T15:33:00.000-04:00

And Jesus spoke when coming to them, saying, “All authority in heaven and upon the earth is given to me. Therefore by means of going[1], make disciples of all the Gentile peoples, by means of baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, by means of teaching them to keep as much as I commanded you; and behold I am with all of

2005-05-06T21:44:00.000-04:00

The greatest rock band ever...graduating! From Left to Right: Chris, Lenny, and Nick. This pretty well marked the disbandment of Not I... or did it?

2005-05-06T21:41:00.000-04:00

Not Iscariot in Concert!