Dec 11

Still in The Hunt

Posted in: Sports

My precious Eagles are still in the hunt for the playoffs. We’re currently sitting on the last spot for the NFC playoffs, with the final wild card, right behind the NY Giants, who we play next week. It shall be interesting. If we lose, we get another shot by playing Atlanta in the game-ender. Defense needs to sharpen up, and as long as Garcia keeps playing mistake-free football, we’re good.

By the way, I’m mutilating all-comers in fantasy football. It’s almost ridiculous. My team?

  • Carson Palmer
  • LaDainian Tomlinson
  • Steven Jackson
  • Brian Westbrook
  • Marvin Harrison
  • Donte Stallworth
  • L.J. Smith
  • Robbie Gould
  • Packers DEF

My Bench:

  • Brett Favre
  • David Garrard
  • Maurice Jones-Drew (should’ve started him this past week)
  • Darrell Jackson
  • Torry Holt
  • Desmond Clark

It’s really not even fair. There are weeks when my bench beats many teams in the league. I only had the fourth pick in the draft (picked LT, of course, it was a no-brainer for me). It’s an eight team league. I’m out in front at 11-2 with over 1600 points. Next in line? 9-4 with over 1400. I should retire.

2 Comments
Dec 11

The Resurrection Account or Jack and the Beanstalk?

Posted in: General

I came across a great profiles article from Independent - Online Edition (link), on Richard Dawkins, the leader of the New Atheism movement (link). A decent question, one that is fundamental to Christianity was asked of him by a Granville Sykes:

What do you think happened to the body of Jesus, and how does that tally with the accounts of the resurrection?

What’s really fascinating is Dawkins’ response.

Presumably what happened to Jesus was what happens to all of us when we die. We decompose. Accounts of Jesus’ resurrection and ascension are about as well-documented as Jack and the Beanstalk. 

I read this and laughed out loud. It really strikes me as odd that an educated man, like Dr. Dawkins is unaware of the documentation of Jesus’ resurrection and ascension. It’s not only in the Bible, oh no. There are multiple accounts in Talmudic references, as well as Roman historians who have documented the Resurrection. In fact, the Resurrection of Jesus is objectively documented by more sources than say, the Big Bang Theory or even gravity. 

This sound silly, but it is true. The only ‘proof’ and documentation we have for scientific theories is the evidence that result from it. For instance, when we let go of a ball from some height, it falls. The Resurrection not only has historical accounts, but it has evidence too: the Church. Transformed lives. Miracles - documented by non-Christians. It took me back when someone who is so intelligent actually took a step that was blatantly wrong.

Especially when evolutionary biology is about as well-documented as Hansel and Gretel.

No Comments
Dec 08

There’s Something About Food…

Posted in: General, Culture

I’m sitting here at Krispy Kreme, and it is packed. There’s just something about food that brings people together. I’m humbly proud (heh) to be associated with a faith that not only includes food as part of it’s sacrament, but requires it. God definitely knew what He was doing when He required Communion to be around food. It could’ve been anything else; but He chose the thing that we naturally tend to gather around. Our need to gather around food is insatiable.

So as I sit here, watching two elderly couples devour a hot dozen, here’s to you, Jesus, for giving us Food with Meaning. Or Meaning for our Food. Hmm…now there’s a theological question. I’m going to go order some pizza and think about it…

1 Comment
Dec 07

Mud In My Eye

Posted in: Books

I’m in the process of studying for my next book, Mud In My Eye: Spitting in the Face of People in Need, and it’s incredible! Just read and study John 9 for a couple of weeks. There’s so much stuff in each word, in  the Greek, in the situation, in the background, in the text, and in the actions of all the people involved. The disciples really trip me out sometimes. Something else that is amazing to me is how many times the blind man recounts his story in the chapter. He gets kind of ticked at the end, he says it so much.

For the book, I’m going to rewrite the story (paraphrasing), but then I’m going to dissect it as to what it means for the Church. If you have any thoughts about John 9, please post ‘em!

No Comments
Dec 07

Reading Revelation

Posted in: Teaching

Something has really been on my chest lately, and it came to a head last night. My girlfriend, Miranda (whom I love), was so diligently doing her Bible study when she asked me a question about Revelation. Poor girl, I ranted. (Babe, if you’re reading this, I’m sorry and hope you took the best of it) I don’t think I yelled or anything, but it catches me off guard sometime.

The thing was this: Revelation is not about the “End Times”. Revelation’s setting is the End, but it’s not about the End. It seems to me that people so easily skip over the first verse of Revelation, ready to get to the ‘juicy’ stuff. The first five words of Revelation 1:1 clearly states: The Revelation of Jesus Christ. Some people take that to mean that Jesus is simply delivering the revelation to John. This is partly true, because of verse 2 and 3, but even more than that, Jesus is revealing Himself. That is, the Revelation is not only by Jesus, but it’s also about Jesus.

When studying Revelation, people so often look for things pointing to the end; they want to know when, where, and how the End will happen. Who cares? The bottom line is this: everything in Revelation (and the entire Bible, for that matter) is about Jesus. The craving for knowledge of the end times, whether by Revelation, by Daniel, or Ezekiel, is an extension of the original lie: “You Can Be Like God.”

So please, teachers, when you teach Revelation, do not teach premillenial, amillenial, postmillenial, whatever. Teach Jesus. It’s what the book is about.

1 Comment
« Previous Page Next Page »