Happy Reformation Day!

I have been profoundly impacted by the ministry of Pastor John and my time here in seminary has been equally formative. I thought this video captured well the significance of serious study of God's word and its regular, faithful proclamation in the life of the church.

Rejection of the "VOTE NO" Campaign

Probably the most depressing part of my day is the drive to school/work. Contrary to what you may be thinking this is not due to any dislike for my studies or my labors, rather it has to do with the prominent yard ornamentation of Northeast Minneapolis. Placarded in numerous lawns is a bright orange sign that reads, "VOTE NO: Don't limit the freedom to marry." It is a striking reaction to the impending November vote about whether or not Minnesotans will vote to amend the state constitution defining marriage as between one man and one woman. I have lots of biblical arguments for why I think marriage is only ever between a man and a woman, but that's not why I'm writing this post. I'm bothered on a basic human level by the dishonest, irrational, and unloving approach the argument it taking.

A Call for Honesty

 

The question keeps coming to mind as orange signs blur my peripheral vision, "Who's having their freedom to marry limited by the upcoming vote?" The amendment in question is simply an effort to retain a definition to marriage that has pervaded this society from the beginning and is common throughout humanity. No one is having their freedom to marry limited, if they are an of-age adult and intending to make this serious commitment with an of-age of the opposite sex. That's what marriage is in Minnesota at present and this amendment is not setting any new limitations. What the amendment is doing, in reality, is preventing persons from changing the definition and institution of marriage into something that it is not. The real motivation behind this "VOTE NO" campaign is a radical redefinition of this fundamental institution that forms the basis of society. Let's be honest...

A Call for Reason

 

Because, sadly, the yard sign slogan is also prominent on many T-shirts in my area as well, I'm starting to think that it is a slogan people really believe in—and that scares me. So, let's slow down and think it through for a moment, "don't limit the freedom to marry." Really!?! That's a wildly unqualified statement. If I didn't know that the real debate is about so-called "homosexual marriage," just reading these signs and following the logic might yield… "Don't limit the freedom to marry…for the man who loves and is committed to three women and would like to marry them all." Or, "Don't limit the freedom to marry…for the person who is in a mutual love relationship with a minor and they would like to marry." Or, "Don't limit the freedom to marry…for the person who really loves and wants to marry his first cousin…or sister…or other close relative." I could go on into deeper crassness but I think the point is clear, the unfettered logic of this slogan is dangerous. And for those who may be objecting that this is a slippery slope argument, notice, I'm not saying that to permit, so-called "homosexual marriages" will necessarily lead to all these other examples I've listed (polygamy, pedophilia, incest,…even bestiality). What I am saying, and mark this, is that the logic of the current slogan is equally applicable to all of these other types of arguments. Let's be reasonable...

A Call for Love

 

For those who know me, rarely am I found watching television. But I've seen enough in the past month to know that the TV ads are spouting a similar line to the yard signs, "If two people love each other and are committed to each other, who am I to withhold the right of marriage from them?" Well, I think this line has already been examined above—it assumes a definition of marriage that is not in accordance with reality, thus making it dishonest; it is irrational in that it has not thought of chaotic implications of using such argumentation for this discussion. But these TV ads bring in the issue of "love" and seems to imply that those who VOTE YES to retain the definition of marriage between one man and one woman are unloving and preventing the true love of others from being fulfilled. And here I must contest our society's notion of love. Love is not letting people do whatever they want as long as it doesn't hurt anyone else. Love is seeking the good of another person even to the point of restraining them from fulfilling every desire in their hearts. True life, true happiness, true and lasting love can only occur when we have submitted to the Lordship of Jesus and receive in him a new relationship with God and look to live dependently upon his Spirit and his word. Love seeks the good of others in God and doesn't leave them to the evil desire of their hearts.

Praying for those on Hajj

A helpful video for understanding the basics of the Hajj and praying for such pilgrims to find true rest in Messiah Yeshua, Savior of the world, the only Lamb who truly takes away sins.

Getting ready for cold weather ...

My pumpkin!

What do I do all day?

Sometimes it's hard to explain our day to day life. Our schedule is very full and the main reason is because I am still a full-time grad student. One course I'm in right now, Christian Doctrine 02, takes about nine hours out of my week. We read a chapter of our textbook, read the majority of another work on the related theme of that chapter, and then write a response. Here's one of my response papers if you're at all interested in reading, it's on the relationship between "being filled with the Spirit" and letting "the word of Christ dwell in us richly." Enjoy!

[LINK] (Be warned, its just a first draft!)

Family Date to Smashburger

Rugged Maniac

On Sept. 15, 2012 I and a few guys from the seminary cohort participated in the Minnesota "Rugged Maniac" event. 3.1 miles of running up and down ski hills with about 18 military style obstacle course obstructions thrown in our way. My favorite was probably the belly crawl under barbed wire through mud as thick as butter. 8-foot walls, underground water crawls, rope climbs, and of course, the fire pit jump made for quite and adventure. Here's a few pics of the madness...

BEFORE...

AFTER!!

Some "rugged" spectators

Benaiah gettin a little rugged...

Yes, that's mud!

The infamous fire-pit jump.

A couple maniacs (with our puppy).

So Much for Revisionist History

 I can't verify everything in this video but I'm not surprised at having been fed an "agenda" over the years.

VIDEO

I Love the Swings

Mornings with mom

Lightning!

Me and my friends!

Happy Birthday High Five

Playing Trains with Great Grandma

Happy 75th Grandma Leman !!

A Song for Ramadan

For the past few years I’ve gotten into the habit of choosing a song for the month of Ramadan. I intentionally choose a song which has music that launches me into prayer, a song which has lyrics that help sustain and form that prayer, and a song that is focused on the greatness of the Lord Jesus whom Muslims need to know. In addition to a good prayer guide, being a good learner from my Muslim neighbors, and setting aside a meal a week for focused prayer, choosing song that will ring out from my stereo, computer, phone at least three or four times a day has been a great aid in sustaining prayer for spiritual breakthrough around the world.

Song for 2012 - Prepare Ye The Way of The Lord (Jeremy Riddle)

Prepare The Way Of The Lord (Albu)

I chose this song for 2012 because of it’s focus on Isaiah 40:3, “A voice cries: ‘In the wilderness prepare the way of the LORD; make straight in the desert a highway for our God.’” This passage begins a transition to a new section of the book of Isaiah which many have named “the book of comfort,” after the repetition in 40:1. And I’ve love that the song focuses on this verse because of how it points to Jesus. All four of the Gospel writers pick up on this verse and the phrase, “prepare the way of the LORD” (Matt. 3:3; Mark 1:3; Luke 3:4; John 1:23).

Behind the English “LORD” is the Hebrew name that God calls himself hundreds of times in the Old Testament (“I am the LORD”) and the memorial name that he gives to Israel by which they should call upon him (Exod. 3:15; Hos. 12:5). Transcribed as YHWH and probably vocalized as “Yahweh,” this is a name and not a title. The Hebrew parallelism helps make this even more clear:

In the wilderness prepare the way of YHWH;
Make straight in the desert a highway for our God.

YHWH is God and the way is being made ready that all flesh should see his glory (Isaiah 40:5). So, it is quite astonishing that the New Testament Gospel writers would take a text this clear and then apply it to the beginning of the earthly ministry of Jesus the Messiah! Essentially, in Isaiah we have, “prepare the way of YHWH,” and in the Gospels we have, “prepare the way of Jesus.” It is unmistakable what they meant—Jesus is YHWH in the flesh. Prior to John’s reference of Isaiah he stated it this clearly in his well known introduction, “the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory…” (John 1:14; cf. Isa. 40:5).

So, I chose this song for 2012 to remind me to pray just that truth, that Muslims would see the glory of Jesus, which is the glory of YHWH the one true God, and a way would be prepared in their hearts to meet him.

Getting back in the pool!

We're still here, just on vacation!

Attack of the Geese

A little bread draws a large crowd!!

Our Swimming Pool

Well, we don't own it but it seems like no one else uses it. Benaiah's having to get used to swimming in water colder than 90 degrees, like at swim lessons, and mom and dad are trying to figure out how to respond to the daily "swim pool?" request.