tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8030699495049152162024-02-08T18:57:07.855+07:00Mindful Worship"Test my mind and my heart." (Psalm 26:2, NASB)Christopherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02078449448597794098noreply@blogger.comBlogger35125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-803069949504915216.post-66396375861083037242010-12-09T17:15:00.002+07:002010-12-09T17:21:18.918+07:00Still hereWow, the time has flown since my last post 1 month ago today. My fam and I are doing well in Phnom Penh. My sister-in law, Mili, is pregnant with a second girl, my brother, Colin, is likely to be admitted into the best MBA program on the planet (Stanford), my in-laws arrive next Tuesday for a 3-week visit, after which Colin arrives with his partner, Cleo, for a 4-night visit, my son, Joshua, gets funnier and cuter as he ages, and my wife, Jen, gets more beautiful as she ages. Oh, and it was my birthday yesterday. 29 years old. Almost 30. Wow again.Christopherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02078449448597794098noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-803069949504915216.post-58265040857306369392010-11-09T20:03:00.002+07:002010-11-09T20:07:26.016+07:00Tough texts (at least for me)What does the book of Acts 17:26b-28 mean?<div><br /></div><div>I may understand v. 26b (God has determined the specific time and place of my birth and dwellings), but what do <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">vv</span>. 27-28 mean? </div><div><br /></div><div>I am glad that the Bible is not boring or easy.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Christopherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02078449448597794098noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-803069949504915216.post-6944330253925450512010-11-01T20:32:00.004+07:002010-11-01T20:49:30.927+07:00Which comes first, love or obedience?Jesus said in John 14:15, "If you love me, you will keep my commandments." Jesus is saying that if we love Him, then our love for Him will cause in us a desire to obey Him. Love causes obedience. We cannot expect to successfully obey Jesus if we don't treasure Him. One application is this: if I am struggling to obey Jesus, perhaps the problem is that I am not cherishing Him.<div> <div><br /></div><div> </div></div>Christopherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02078449448597794098noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-803069949504915216.post-30955287584150325152010-10-19T22:05:00.002+07:002010-10-19T22:12:02.352+07:00Christianity and Islam<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Below are two useful audio/video resources for understanding and relating to Islam and Muslims. </span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><a href="http://www.desiringgod.org/blog/posts/loving-our-muslim-neighbors--2"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Loving our Muslim Neighbors</span></span></a></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><!--StartFragment--><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><a href="http://www.desiringgod.org/resource-library/conference-messages/thinking-for-the-sake-of-global-faithfulness-confronting-islam-with-the-mind-of-christ">Thinking for the Sake of Global Faithfulness: Confronting Islam with the Mind of Christ</a></span></span><!--EndFragment--><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><a href="http://www.desiringgod.org/blog/posts/loving-our-muslim-neighbors--2"></a> </span></span></div>Christopherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02078449448597794098noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-803069949504915216.post-11550008496676934722010-10-05T23:05:00.002+07:002010-10-05T23:12:53.748+07:00What is the purpose of knowledge?Find approx. 68 mins. in your day to hear Francis Chan's <a href="http://www.desiringgod.org/blog/posts/francis-chan-the-life-of-the-mind-and-the-peril-of-pride">reflections and exhortations</a> from the 2010 Desiring God Conference.<span><span></span></span><div><br /></div><div> </div>Christopherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02078449448597794098noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-803069949504915216.post-53329036531601850122010-09-24T22:18:00.003+07:002010-09-24T22:38:34.372+07:00Three mature followers of God<!--StartFragment--><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">The context is the King has given Daniel's 3 godly friends the following ultimatum: bow down and worship a false god, or be thrown alive into an extremely hot furnace of blazing fire. The 3 friends' first response is definitely impressive as an example of following God in the face of such terrible persecution: "</span></span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:13.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-fareast-font-family:Cambria;mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:"Trebuchet MS";mso-ansi-language:EN-US; mso-fareast-language:EN-US">If it be <i>so,</i> our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the furnace of blazing fire; </span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:13.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:Cambria;mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";mso-ansi-language:EN-US;mso-fareast-language:EN-US">and He will deliver us out of your hand, O king."</span> (Daniel 3:17) But I submit that their next response is a clearer and more mature example of what it means to know and follow God: <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">"But </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">even</span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> if </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">He does</span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> not, let it be known to you, O king, that we are not going to serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up." (Daniel 3:18)</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Why is their second response a clearer/maturer expression of following God? I think it's because the second response shows that the three friends truly understand the nature of God. God is sovereign, and it is sometimes His will not to remove his children from suffering, even the kind of unimaginable suffering those three faced. After all, some saints have been "<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">sawn</span> in two." (Hebrews 11:37) God may have other purposes in mind. Our job as Christians is to follow the example of these three saints: God, I know you're powerful enough to deliver me from this suffering, but I also know that you may want to use my suffering to glorify your name in other ways. Lord, whatever happens, I trust you, and I will not compromise my faith in you. May your perfect will be done, and may you get all the glory. </span></span></span></div></span></span>Christopherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02078449448597794098noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-803069949504915216.post-23541602660820706142010-09-21T07:28:00.003+07:002010-09-21T07:34:21.264+07:00Where is the ultimate human free will in this?<span style="font-family:times new roman;">Ezekiel 36:27 (NASB): "'I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances.'" All the major translations read essentially the same. This verse sounds like God's will is supreme over human will. If God wills us to obey, then we will obey. Contrary to what some may think, such behavior of God is the best example of love: causing someone to do good (i.e., to act in his/her best interests) when s/he would otherwise fail if left to his/her own devices. </span>Christopherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02078449448597794098noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-803069949504915216.post-34937683537527378012010-09-19T05:50:00.002+07:002010-09-19T06:00:24.461+07:00What does it look like to trust and obey God?<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Here's one example from the book of Ezekiel, chapter 24, in the Old Testament:</span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Times New Roman'"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">And the word of the LORD came to me saying,</span></span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Times New Roman'"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> 16"Son of man, behold, I am about to take from you the desire of your eyes with a blow; but you shall not mourn and you shall not weep, and your tears shall not come.</span></span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Times New Roman'"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> 17"Groan silently; make no mourning for the dead Bind on your turban and put your shoes on your feet, and do not cover your mustache and do not eat the bread of men."</span></span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Times New Roman'"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> 18So I spoke to the people in the morning, and in the evening my wife died. And in the morning I did as I was commanded.</span></span></span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Times New Roman'"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Times New Roman'"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Ezekiel's obedience reminds me of some lyrics in a popular contemporary Christian song titled "Blessed Be Your Name." Here are those lyrics:</span></span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Times New Roman'"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Times New Roman'"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"></span></span></p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Times New Roman'"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">You give and take away</span></span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Times New Roman'"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">You give and take away</span></span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Times New Roman'"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">My heart will choose to say</span></span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Times New Roman'"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Lord, blessed be Your name</span></span></span></p></span><p></p></div>Christopherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02078449448597794098noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-803069949504915216.post-77220989193123953352010-09-13T21:42:00.003+07:002010-09-13T22:16:13.353+07:00Do I (want to) believe this?<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">"Is it not from the mouth of the Most High that good and bad come?" (Lamentations 3:38, ESV) The NKJV translates the text as follows: "</span></span><em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Is it</span></span></em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> not from the mouth of the Most High That </span></span><nkjv_tn><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">woe and well-being proceed?" The NIV says, "</span></span></nkjv_tn><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms', arial, helvetica;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Is it not from the mouth of the Most High that both calamities and good things come?"</span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">What does this verse mean? Does it mean all bad things, or just certain bad things? What could "from the mouth" mean, but that God is the ultimate cause of all reality? </span></span></div>Christopherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02078449448597794098noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-803069949504915216.post-60053924216875911452010-09-02T21:37:00.005+07:002010-09-02T21:54:02.338+07:00Sharing the New Testament by Using the Old<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">I am reading through the Old Testament these days and I have been struck by how often and clearly I see the New Testament in it (or how I see the Old in the New:). For example, check out Jeremiah 2:22 (NASB): "</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Though you wash yourself with lye and use much soap, the stain of your guilt is still before me, declares the Lord God.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">" I think the New Living Translation says it more effectively: "</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">No amount of soap or lye can make you clean. You are stained with guilt that cannot be washed away. I, the Sovereign LORD, have spoken!"</span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Isaiah 64:6 (ESV) is similar to Jer. 2:22: "</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment. We all fade like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away." I like the imagery of "filthy rags" in the New King James Version: "</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">But we are all like an unclean </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">thing,</span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> And all our righteousnesses </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">are</span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> like filthy rags; We all fade as a leaf, And our iniquities, like the wind, Have taken us away." It makes me think of how counter-productive it is to try to clean up a big mess with a dirty cloth; it only makes the problem worse. </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:'times new roman';font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:'times new roman';font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:'Times New Roman';font-size:16px;"></span> </span></div>Christopherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02078449448597794098noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-803069949504915216.post-44947102634751120202010-08-28T05:27:00.002+07:002010-08-28T05:40:15.037+07:00The Great CommissionJen and I recently met and fellowshipped with Pastor Gil Anger from Australia. Brother Gil travels around the world approx. 10 months of the year equipping the 21st century Christian church to understand and fulfill the Great Commission as succinctly stated in the Gospel of Matthew 28:19-20. Gil's websites are here: http://site.gilandjoyanger.com/; http://www.reachingbeyondborders.org/.<div><br /></div><div>One of the many words of encouragement from Gil that has stuck with me is the following. When I ask God to reveal his will for me, consider that I have already been called to "Go" in Matthew 28:19. My question to God then changes from "Should I go?" to "How far should I go?" In short: all Christians are called to reproduce after their kind, i.e., to make disciples, whether in my local community or in a distant land.</div><div><br /></div><div>Another convicting truth shared by Brother Gil is what Jesus will ask me when I enter heaven. I believe Jesus will first joyfully welcome me into heaven, praise God! But a little while later Jesus will ask me, "Where are they?" "Who Jesus?" I will respond. "Your disciples that I commanded you to make in Matthew 28:19-20." I pray that God gives me some to bring with me. I also pray that I take the call seriously. </div>Christopherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02078449448597794098noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-803069949504915216.post-18413212174520037862010-08-22T05:57:00.002+07:002010-08-22T06:11:40.301+07:00Assurance of PerseveranceThis morning I read the following verse in Isaiah chapter 14: "For the LORD of hosts has planned, and who can frustrate it?" (verse 27a, NASB) I like the translation of the English Standard Version: "For the Lord of hosts has purposed, and who will annul it?" Then my mind turned to the topic of the assurance of perseverance. Some believe that it's possible to lose your authentic salvation, meaning that some genuine Christians may not persevere to the end. One of the many reasons I don't believe that is the application of Isaiah 14:27a to Romans 8:30, which promises that "these [genuine believers] whom He justified, He also glorified." In my 6:10am translation: no one, not even myself, can annul the purpose and plan of God that He will send to heaven each and every genuine believer. Thank God.Christopherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02078449448597794098noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-803069949504915216.post-81851370601794964062010-08-12T07:28:00.003+07:002010-08-12T07:49:39.849+07:00Encouragement or caution, or both?<p><span style="font-family:times new roman;">Proverbs 22:6 (NASB) says, "Train up a child in the way he should go, Even when he is old he will not depart from it." What does this verse mean?</span></p><span style="font-family:times new roman;"><p><br />My NASB translation says that the literal translation of "in the way he should go" is "according to his way." This is perhaps why the Darby Translation (DBY) says, "Train up the child according to the tenor of his way . . . ", or why the Young's Literal Translation (YNG) says, "Give instruction to a youth about his way . . ." A second clue to the meaning of Proverbs 22:6 may be found in a few verses later in the same chapter: "Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child; The rod of discipline will remove it far from him." (22:15, NASB)</p><p>Conclusions? Proverbs 22:6 may be saying more about the need for a parent to be thoroughly aware of his/her child’s personality and about the significant influence s/he can have over his/her child. The NLT's translation of 22:6 may be misleading: "Teach your children to choose the right path, and when they are older, they will remain upon it." Of course as a parent I am to continue instructing my son in the Way, the Truth, and the Life (Ephesians 6:4), but in the knowledge and encouragement that it is only the Lord who can draw my son to Himself (John 6:44). I pray to that end.</span></p><p><span style="font-family:times new roman;"></span></p>Christopherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02078449448597794098noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-803069949504915216.post-36898656391635613392010-07-29T22:21:00.005+07:002010-07-29T22:40:05.710+07:00My wife like a fruitful vine and my son like an olive plant<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">Here's Psalm 128:1-4 (NASB):</span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">How blessed is everyone who fears the LORD, Who walks in His ways.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">. . . </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">Within your house,</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">Your children like olive plants</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">Around your table.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">Behold, for thus shall the man be blessed</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">Who fears the Lord.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">. . . </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">Sounds good to me.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: -webkit-xxx-large;"><br /></span></span></div>Christopherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02078449448597794098noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-803069949504915216.post-78230466273909635282010-07-27T07:31:00.002+07:002010-07-27T07:42:31.635+07:00Responding to disobedienceThis morning I finished reading the longest chapter in the Bible, Psalm 119. What a beautiful, encouraging, and challenging Psalm. I want to post what I've been convicted to see as a necessary (though perhaps not sufficient in some cases) part of a healthy Christian response to another's disobedience. Here it is in Psalm 119:136: "My eyes shed streams of water, Because they do not keep Your law." Who are the "they" in your life? The margin of the NASB translation says the literal translation of "shed" is "run down." May my tears run.Christopherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02078449448597794098noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-803069949504915216.post-57877255371238267412010-07-24T05:37:00.002+07:002010-07-24T05:39:40.222+07:0021st century slavery in your backyardRead Nicholas Kristof's latest Op-Editorial in the <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/15/opinion/15kristof.html">NYTimes</a> for more.Christopherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02078449448597794098noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-803069949504915216.post-42716599409661869882010-07-24T05:24:00.003+07:002010-07-24T05:28:04.839+07:00How to combat school bullying?Read this NYTimes <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/23/opinion/23engel.html?th&emc=th">article</a> for a solution.Christopherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02078449448597794098noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-803069949504915216.post-7432279030755487142010-07-21T22:54:00.004+07:002010-07-21T23:03:00.571+07:00Eternal SecurityI am now reading the book "Still Sovereign: Contemporary Perspectives on Election, Foreknowledge, and Grace" edited by Thomas R. Schreiner and Bruce A. Ware. I'm on chapter 6 by Professor Wayne Grudem re: the interpretation of Hebrews 6:4-6 and whether a Christian can lose his/her salvation. Since I became a Christian in 2000 I have believed in eternal security, that is, once saved always saved. Dr. Grudem's exegesis of this difficult passage in Hebrews is staggeringly impressive, and is bolstering my belief in eternal security one hundred fold. <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>Christopherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02078449448597794098noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-803069949504915216.post-25677346891014081182010-07-14T21:26:00.004+07:002010-07-14T21:30:29.328+07:00"Good" parents and their "bad" childrenProvocative and hard-to-swallow article titled "<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/13/health/13mind.html">Accepting that Good Parents may Plant Bad Seeds</a>" at <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">NYTimes</span> by a professor of psychiatry in Manhattan.Christopherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02078449448597794098noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-803069949504915216.post-36347853330699223462010-07-12T21:29:00.002+07:002010-07-12T21:34:55.273+07:00Bewail the ban on the veilSee <a href="http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/07/11/veiled-threats/?th&emc=th">here</a> for an excellent NYTimes article by Martha Nussbaum on the discriminatory arguments to ban the burqa.Christopherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02078449448597794098noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-803069949504915216.post-83840992096880749832010-07-07T22:15:00.003+07:002010-07-07T22:28:07.087+07:00Covenant vs. Dispensational TheologyI'm currently reading another book recommended by missionary Pastor Wayne Snyder here in Phnom Penh: "There Really is a Difference: A Comparison of Covenant and Dispensational Theology" (1990) by Renald E. Showers. I'm about half way through, and I highly recommend what I've read so far. I've been a Christian a little over 10 years and this is the first time I've read about these two views on the Bible's philosophy of history. This book is also my first in-depth exposure to a bunch of really neat Biblical issues that I knew very little about, such as the three Millennial views (Premillennialism, Amillennialism, Postmillennialism). I'm not sure yet which Millennial view I subscribe to, but this book is definitely helping me to decide.Christopherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02078449448597794098noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-803069949504915216.post-19452863789273065042010-06-26T20:51:00.004+07:002010-06-27T06:16:58.620+07:00No right to same-sex marriage under the European Convention on Human Rights . . . yet<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"> <!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;mso-pagination: none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:-webkit-xxx-large;"> <!--StartFragment--> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;mso-pagination: none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:6;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:19px;"> <!--StartFragment--> </span></span></p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:6;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;mso-pagination: none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:180%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:17px;"> <!--StartFragment--> </span></span></p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:180%;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;mso-pagination: none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:180%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:17px;"> <!--StartFragment--> </span></span></p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:180%;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;mso-pagination: none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:180%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:17px;"> <!--StartFragment--> </span></span></p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:180%;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;mso-pagination: none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:180%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:17px;"> <!--StartFragment--> </span></span></p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:180%;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"> <!--StartFragment--> </span></p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align: justify;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"></span></p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; font: 12.0px 'Times New Roman'"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">On 24 June 2010, a unanimous Chamber (7 judges) of the European Court of Human Rights held that Article 12 (right to marry) of the European Convention on Human Rights does not oblige Austria (and therefore the other 46 States Parties to the Convention) to grant same-sex couples access to marriage. Here is the </span></span><a href="http://cmiskp.echr.coe.int/tkp197/view.asp?item=1&portal=hbkm&action=html&highlight=30141/04&sessionid=55977909&skin=hudoc-en"><span style="text-decoration: underline ; letter-spacing: 0.0px color:#1f00ac;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">judgment</span></span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">. The primary reason for the Chamber's holding is "[T]here is no European consensus regarding same-sex marriage. At present no more than six out of forty-seven Convention States allow same-sex marriage." (para. 58) Those six countries are Belgium, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain and Sweden.</span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; font: 12.0px 'Times New Roman'; min-height: 15.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; font: 12.0px 'Times New Roman'"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">I don't think this judgment is legally surprising, and I would be surprised if a Grand Chamber (upon referral under Article 43) holds that Article 12 does require same-sex access to marriage. However, I will not be surprised if within my lifetime the Court departs from this Chamber's judgment because a European consensus has emerged to grant same-sex couples the right to marry. Only time will tell.</span></span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; font: 12.0px 'Times New Roman'; min-height: 15.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; font: 12.0px 'Times New Roman'"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Perhaps the more legally interesting part of the judgment is the question of whether the lack of any means of legal recognition of same-sex couples (e.g., registered partnerships) violates Article 14 (prohibition of discrimination) taken together with Article 8 (right to respect for private and family life) of the Convention. The majority dodged the question (para. 103), while a Joint Dissenting Opinion of three judges answered it this way: "Any absence of a legal framework offering them, at least to a certain extent, the same rights or benefits attached to marriage . . . would need robust justification, especially taking into account the growing trend in Europe to offer some means of qualifying for such rights or benefits." (para. 9) These three judges found a violation of Article 14 in conjunction with Article 8 because Austria did not advance a justification, let alone a robust one, for the absence of legal recognition until 1 January 2010. (para. 8) It would be worth reading how a Grand Chamber upon referral decides this particular question. Again, only time will tell.</span></span></span></p></span><p></p></span><p></p></span><p></p></span><p></p></span><p></p></span><p></p></span><p></p><p></p></span>Christopherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02078449448597794098noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-803069949504915216.post-37175454559980950882010-06-22T21:00:00.000+07:002010-06-22T21:19:54.467+07:00The battle continues for freedom of religion in Canada<!--StartFragment--><span style="font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi- font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-fareast-font-family:Cambria;mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;mso-bidi-mso-ansi-language:EN-US;mso-fareast-language: EN-USfont-size:26.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">A private Catholic high school in Quebec, Canada (that "receives provincial government subsidies") has been exempted by the Quebec Superior Court from teaching a compulsory course on ethics from a secular perspective, as required by Quebec regulations. Instead, the school may teach the compulsory ethics course from its religious perspective. Read the Globe and Mail story </span><a href="http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/quebec/quebec-jesuit-school-wins-right-to-teach-ethics-from-religious-perspective/article1612455/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">here</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">. For those who read French, the decision of the Quebec Superior Court can be found </span><a href="http://www.jugements.qc.ca/php/decision.php?liste=46252591&doc=7FF18D89A2AE5ADB9810CF4B60DAFDFCF774F8F11CE85819B903D21A6CECE9FD&page=1"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">here</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">.</span></span><!--EndFragment-->Christopherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02078449448597794098noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-803069949504915216.post-46784051895151965942010-06-20T07:48:00.000+07:002010-06-20T08:56:00.029+07:00Compassionate curses?One could say that the Psalms are filled with what may seem like imprecatory prayers and petitions. But the same Psalmist who offered so many of such prayers and petitions, also said this:<div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 17px; "><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 17px; ">"But as for me, when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth; I humbled my soul with fasting, And my prayer kept returning to my bosom. I went about as though it were my friend or brother; I bowed down mourning, as one who sorrows for a mother." (</span>Psalm 35:13-14 (NASB))</div><div><br /></div><div>Who are "they"? King David is referring to "malicious witnesses", "smiters", "godless jesters", "the lions", and "enemies".</div><div><br /></div><div>What do these verses from Psalm 35 reveal to us about David's character? About God's character? About the relationship between justice and compassion? </div><div><br /></div><div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></div>Christopherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02078449448597794098noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-803069949504915216.post-66792076193996232332010-06-18T22:07:00.000+07:002010-06-18T22:09:11.224+07:00Food for thought on use of midwivesWhat do readers think of <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/18/nyregion/18midwives.html?th&emc=th">this NYTimes article</a>?Christopherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02078449448597794098noreply@blogger.com0