Filed under: Devotions
by Caleb Hancock
So, with Christmas over, everyone naturally turns to the next holiday and wonders what the new year will bring. A new job? A new home? A new relationship? A new weight, or work-ethic?
But what is the Christian man’s hope for change? Is it really as simple as having a new mindset or goal to bring about change?
It’s something that’s been on my mind a little as I’ve prepared for his annual visitation down the chimney at my parents’ house. Think about it:
- For one, what man would be caught dead in red velvet?
- If I had 9 reindeer, 8 would be in the freezer cut into steaks and a good bit of Blitzen would be makin a trip to the taxidermist.
- Sleighs are pretty outdated. I’d recommend a flying one of these.
- I imagine kids would stop writing letters to him when they got their third socket wrench set or 5th Ronco product in a row.
- I’ve yet to find a man that giggles when described as having a “bowl full of jelly”
- Think about all the other mythical holiday Men: Father Time shows up once a year looking scraggly, ominous and ready to open up a can. Definite guy. And heck. Even Cupid packs heat.
A couple things Santa does have going for him though is that he’s got a really stout beard, apparently has a profound sense of direction and can pack a vehicle efficiently–something I don’t think a female Santa could ever do.
Just a thought. Anybody got any evidence in Santa’s character that could readjust my view?
And Have A Merry Christmas!
–by joshcan
by Caleb Hancock
Guys, I was reading this on John Piper’s blog at DesiringGod.org, and was compelled to share it today with you.
John is speaking on the fact that the message of Christmas, that God, Jesus, became Man to take away our sin on the cross, isn’t meant to only be celebrated and known by Christians, but that this message is in fact to be proclaimed by us (like the old Carol quoted in this post’s title).
Here is what Mr. Piper said:
Filed under: Thought Initiative
by Justin Day
So how much is Pi? Since the birth of geometry, mathematicians have found Pi to be a constant value of 3.14… It seems that king Solomon, however, has a bone to pick with this.
In 1 Kings 7:23 we read, “Then he made the sea of cast metal. It was round, ten cubits from brim to brim, and five cubits high, and a line of thirty cubits measured its circumference.” Given that π=Circumference/ Diameter, it seems that 1 Kings records Pi as 3 (30 cubits/10 cubits), not 3.14…
1)How should we take this? Since the plain reading of the text is that Pi = 3 instead of the traditional value, does this lead us to believe that mathematics is wrong and Pi is actually 3? Is there another way that this should be interpreted?
2)Does this undermine Biblical innerancy?
Filed under: Devotions
by Caleb Hancock
As we continue to approach Christmas day, I wanted to encourage you all not to waste this special season. Rather, I hope that we would all grow in grasping and celebrating the amazing event of the Incarnation of Jesus.
Towards that end, I have included some killer quotes and texts from Scripture to help leave you in awe of our God’s specific and passionate hatred for sin and love for his glory on display in the salvation of sinners like us.
Filed under: Culture
There’s nothing like the Christmas tradition of Christmas lights, except when you add in some rockin’ TSO and make it the way all things should be…the way a guy would do it! Classic.
Note: While this video is on its 3rd year, there’s just nothing like it.
–by joshcan
At the top of the short list of why cats exist, I put doing things like this.
Just to clarify, this isn’t to say, “Hey look how cute cats are.” But rather, if you have a cat, you might as well do something funny to it.
by Caleb Hancock
As far as I can recall, this is the first time that I have used an old Yosemite Sam play on words for a post title!
However, as we approach the Christmas season, prepare to buy gifts for others, and celebrate the season with the ones we love, let’s look at what an amazing thing it is that we celebrate.
Filed under: Thought Initiative
by Justin Day
Due to a popular youtube video titled ”10 Questions Every Intelligent Christian Must Answer,” the atheist website whywontgodhealamputees.com has become very popular recently. Its main thesis, as the url address suggests, is if God is active in the world and is actually healing people then why won’t God heal amputees?
Even though most of the readers of this blog would call themselves continuationists (people who believe the spiritual gifts are still active today), I think every Christian would agree, even cessationists, that God is still actively healing people. The debate over healing would just be the means used for the healing, not the act of healing itself. Given this, why is it the case that so many people claim to be healed by God and yet amputees are never healed?
There is clear precedent in scripture for people being healed in miraculous ways, many of them being just as, or far more, miraculous as regrowing a limb. Christ healed paralytics (Luke 5:18-25; 7:1-10), lepers (Luke 5:12-13), people with withered hands (Luke 6:6-10), regrew ears (Luke 22:49-51), and even raised people from the dead (John 11). Even the apostles healed people (Acts 5:16; 8:5-7).
1) Given that there is clear Biblical precedent for miraculous healing, is it true, as the above website suggests, that God is showing partiality towards non-amputees? If God heals people and, more importantly, is still actively healing people today then why aren’t amputee victims being healed also?
2) Does this lack of amputee healing give credence to cessationism? If God is still healing people in miraculous ways, why is he not doing it in ways which we can all verify? If the point of miracles is to authenticate and draw attention towards the Gospel, what would show the grandeur of Christ’s power greater than healing an amputee?
Filed under: Humor
–by joshcan
It’s just true! It’s subjectively true anyway. I know I can’t say objectively that girls talk weird, because they make up over half of the world’s population, so really, us men would be the weird ones. Either way, since God revealed himself as a male in Christ and as the “Father”, he counts on the man side. Girls, egalitarians, feminists, fight all you want, but the fullness of the Godhead on our side means we win.
Anyway, all that to preface. Like I was saying, girls talk weird! (I wouldn’t say this is any new or novel revelation for me or menkind in general, but it still makes a fun blog discussion.) One of the ways one may observe this is in the female habit of the unnecessary labeling of things. Things that don’t even need a label! For instance, a group of guys getting together. What would you call it? “Getting together,” “Chillin’,” “Whatever.” Some neuron (which God placed, so be thankful) in the other half of the species tells them, “No. This is no ordinary ‘Get together.’ There are no men here! This must be [INSERT EXCITEDLY APPROPRIATE LABEL HERE!!!!!!!].” GIRL-TIME!, A SLEEPOVER!, GIGGLE-FEST, et cetera, et cetera.
Or it could be a personal belonging, like a car. I obtained two cars in the past year, and the only people who have expected me to bestow upon it the right of human name, necessary for personal interaction with it, have been females. (Perhaps naming the car makes talking to themselves in the car less weird?) So, under pressure, I have given the cars names. One was Biff. The other, Beige. Cuz it’s beige. (Anyone who’s known me for over a year probably thinks I’m a hypocrite here though. I must say, I did have a car named the J-Traiyne, a name given it voluntarily, by myself. However, I claim, that’s not really a name name, it’s like a description of ownership. So I feel justified).
Moving on. Words/phrasings that with one of your male buddies might not pose much of a threat to your friendship or life, could very well endanger you if spoken to a lady. For instance, a male friend of mine asks, “What do you think about this?” I respond one-wordedly, “Sure.” All is well. If a female asks you, “What do you think about this?” then the answer “Sure” becomes offensive and obviously uncaringly simplistic. Not across the board for sure, but it happens!
A third thing I’ve noticed is that our female counterparts have an uncanny ability to make inanimate objects take on a girly aura when they describe them. This chiefly shows itself in the adding of the letter “W” and whatever prefix will make it rhyme with your chosen word. So, a simple pencil becomes a “Pencil Wencil.” A Cat becomes a “Kitty Witty”. A Dog, yup, a “Doggy Woggy”. It gets weirder too. Multiple times a sentence even! Ie: “Sure, I’ll get you a Bowlie wowlie for your Raisin-Branny Wanny.”
I’m thankful for my sisters! Not hatin’ on em. But they definitely talk weird.
Anyone have any examples from life?
