He Meant What He Said and He Said What He Meant

Enjoyable discussion on Holy Communion & the early church fathers at Visits to Candyland. I look forward to reading Wednesday's revelations after work, sorry I won't be around to participate... :-(

One last parting thought:
And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted. And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” - Matthew 28:17-20

Painting

A paint roller is a useful tool for painting large areas, such as walls.

A paint brush is used for smaller projects that require more care and attention to detail.

You shouldn't paint a portrait with a roller. It would look terrible if you tried. Someone who paints a portrait with a roller does so because he lacks respect for his subject. Doesn't care to study the subject and learn its details. Is unconcerned with how the subject will react to the portrait.

A person who paints a portrait with a roller also lacks respect for his audience. He assumes his audience lacks the intelligence to see the difference between a paint brush and a roller.

An example of painting with too broad a brush: The Difference between Protestant and Catholic Christians.

Addendum: You can read the whole of the article here: Why Catholics and Protestants Don't See Eye to Eye. (Thanks, Elena!)

Buttons

Did you know the Old Order Amish don't use buttons, or use them very sparingly? They forsake buttons because of the military connections and also, more importantly, because buttons are a source of adornment. And adornment is a source of vanity. Yes, we can take pride in a pretty button. Or pride in how many buttons we use. Or pride in how fancifully we placed the buttons on our shirt. Our neighbors see what nice buttons we have and grow jealous (envy). Petty contests arise to see who has the most buttons (gluttony) or the best buttons (greed).

Yet I don't even think about my buttons at all until I lose one! No, my "buttons" are much, much bigger. Home and car. Job and spouse. Clothes. Appearance. Children and family. Education. Intelligence. Hobbies. Skills. Accomplishments. The list is soooo long...

Notice how one little button can trigger a whole slew of sins in ourselves and our neighbors? How much more do BIG "buttons" cause me and others to sin? How often do we share information about ourselves in the guise of being helpful when in fact we are being hurtful? How often do we show-off our buttons unintentionally?

I wonder what motivates some Christian women bloggers to write about the things they write about and to post so many pictures of themselves and their homes. Humility? Modesty? Altruism?... I have doubts.... Vanity? More likely. And just like with the small buttons, a little bit of vanity has a snowball effect on sinfulness. Envy, gluttony and greed are quickly joined by anger, gossip and laziness (wasting time).

It is a sin to cause others to sin. And to knowingly continue a sinful action is deliberate, unrepentant behavior - mocking God.

Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. - Galatians 6:7

In fact, buttons are making me re-think this whole blogging business.

Vanity, thy name is Blogger.

Suddenly, the plot thickens...

Candy writes...

Update about my stalker
For those following along with the revelation of my stalker (I deleted those dialoges now), the problem has been solved. The stalker was someone inpersonating my family member. Said stalker has lost access to this website, and will be a problem no longer. Problem solved. Thank you for your prayers.

Comment #28

Here's the comment that was deleted... (a shorter version of one I tried to post yesterday)

I found Candy's church's website and it makes NO reference to having missionaries in Peru specifically ministering to Roman Catholics. There is an impressive list of missionaries they are supporting. I am sure Bro. O'Daniel is wondering where the writer got this information.

Is it out of bounds to find Candy's church on the web when she tried to keep it anonymous? Maybe. I think it skirts the line of acceptability.

Is it ok to pry into Candy's personal information (real life) because she published personal information about Elena? No.

Turning the other cheek and forgiveness are Christian virtues.

Eye for an eye? Not.

Peace

I am happy to hear Candy and the VTC ladies have come to a truce. I'm not certain that either side accomplished what they set out to, but then again...maybe they did...I guess we will just have to wait and see.

Their dispute proved to be good exercise for my brain. As much as I enjoy Bible study at my Lutheran church no one ever says infant baptism is meaningless or calls a communion wafer a "cracker". Nor does anyone talk about when they got "saved." Also, I've never heard anyone challenge the Pastor on sola scriptura, sola fide nor any other "sola". I know of no one questioning him about what version of the Bible we use, or state that our version of the 10 commandments is deficient.

Yes, it was good to use the old noggin for some higher thinkin'.

Yes, I will continue to blog -- I DO have other interests! :-)

VERY busy this weekend. Have a very blessed Holy Week.

Veiled References?

Candy has successfully blocked the IP addresses of most of the RC sisterhood at VTC and disabled her RSS feed making it difficult if not impossible for them to read her blog. (Oh well, it was fun while it lasted.) I guess that is why they missed her comment on their blog post.

Tracy at VTC wrote in her post "Head covering and Catholic Women": The moral law requires all women to wear the veil on their hearts. A woman should not wear the veil on her head, until she is wearing it first on her heart. A woman who wears the veil on her heart accepts the place that God gives to women in the Church, the family, and society. Women who wear the veil on their hearts are imitating the Virgin Mary in her humility, submissiveness, and obedience to Christ.

Candy at KTH blogs "Are you being tossed in the wind?": I am saddened at the fact that many of those blogs teach that "women must have a veil over their hearts, before the veil on their heads will mean anything." Now that disturbs me. Why? Because 2 Corinthians 3 specifically speaks of a veil over our hearts, and it says that if our hearts are veiled, then we are not in the Lord, but when we truly turn to the Lord, then the veil is removed from our hearts:"But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the vail is upon their heart. Nevertheless when it [he or she] shall turn to the Lord, the vail shall be taken away." -2 Corinthians 3:16

When I read Tracy's phrase "veil on her heart" it did raise my eyebrows. There are 4 definitions of the word veiled (from dictionary.com):
1. having a veil: a veiled hat.
2.covered or concealed by, or as if by, a veil: a veiled woman.
3.not openly or directly expressed; masked; disguised; hidden; obscure: a veiled threat.
4.lacking clarity or distinctness: veiled sounds; a veiled image.

None of those is particularly descriptive of a Christian's heart. But, I think what Tracy is trying to say is that the inner workings need to be sufficiently humble for the outer symbolism to be meaningful.

Candy replies with what Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 3:16. I'd like to expand on this a little because I think it is applicable.

2 Corinthians 3:14b-18: For to this day, when they read the old covenant, [the law] that same veil remains unlifted, because only through Christ is it taken away.[the gospel] Yes, to this day whenever Moses is read [the law] a veil lies over their hearts. But when one turns to the Lord, [the gospel] the veil is removed. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. [from the law] And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.[process of sanctification]

In a nutshell: veiled=Moses & law & old covenant; unveiled=Jesus & gospel & new covenant.

John 1:29 & friends

The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!

About this verse Candy writes: "verse 29 Jesus takes away the sins of anyone who will let Him. There is nothing else one must do to be saved. Jesus paid it all. Jesus is our perfect sacrificial Lamb, whose sacrifice pays for ALL of our sins."

And theden at VTC responds: "I think where Candy messes up is that she says that there is "nothing else one must do to be saved."It doesn't say that in the text (or in Scripture). We must participate in our salvation (through the grace of God.)"

Huh? Let me rephrase verse 29. Q: Who takes away the sin of the world? A: The Lamb of God.

It's not about what we do or don't do, it is about what HE did. He took away the sin of the world. Period.

Rewind to verses 12 & 13:
But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

From the Concordia Study Bible: "1:12 Membership in God's family is by grace alone-the gift of God....It is never a human achievement, as v. 13 emphasizes."

Today's Vocabulary Lesson: (thanks to dictionary.com)
eisegesis - an interpretation, esp. of Scripture, that expresses the interpreter's own ideas, bias, or the like, rather than the meaning of the text.

I am really looking forward to chapter 6. :)

The Life of Christ

If it is wrong to depict Christ's body on the cross in a crucifix (because He has been resurrected) then is it okay to depict Him as a child in the manger? He is, after all, no longer a babe in the manger.

These depictions are fine because both the manger and the cross tell the story of our Lord. The manger reminds us of His humble birth and the remarkable story of the Nativity. The body on the cross reminds us of His sacrifice and suffering for our sins.

Cymbals

Symbolism is all around us, all the time. We hardly notice most of it. The red-dot for hot and blue-dot for cold on the faucet. A "+" for louder and "-" for softer on my speakers. The golden arches that beckon me to have greasy french fries for lunch.


Symbols are a language and as a language they are dynamic, that is, always changing. Sometimes symbols, like words, change in meaning quickly (within a generation) and other times quite slow (over centuries). Less than 100 years ago the words "cool" and "hot" referred to temperature. "Gay" was lighthearted.


An example of a symbol taking on new meaning is the cross that is commonly called a "swastika." Prior to the Nazis adopting it in 1932 as their symbol, it was a design used for centuries in art and architecture throughout the world. It was basically benign, but sometimes it had religious connotations - such a symbol for a sun god. Often it was considered a sign for good luck. I've seen it woven into (very old) native American blankets.


Nowadays no one in their right mind would consider decorating their home with swastikas. Sure, one could argue it is just a geometric design and was a sign of good luck for centuries before Hitler got a hold of it. But if one sticks a swastika on one's door the neighbors are not going to come to the barbecue and social services is going to take the kids away. :-)


Cymbals, the percussion instrument, are much like symbols. When played at the right time and with the right amount of force they add to the musical piece. They are a part of the whole body of work. They serve a different purpose than the woodwinds, the brass or the strings. No more or less important. The trouble with cymbals is that if they are not played right, especially when played at the wrong time, everyone notices -- and it detracts greatly from the musical number.

We need to take care when playing with cymbals....and with symbols. We need to understand what the symbol is saying to other people about our faith, not just what it means to us personally. Symbols, after all, speak volumes without words.

A Comforting Thought

What about those who are unable to speak for themselves? Paul offers this:

Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.

Romans 8:26-27

Converts

Candy at KTH and the ladies at VTC like to publish the testimonies of converts to their brand of Christianity. Most people who convert do so because of marriage or friendships. A few do it for spiritual reasons.

Critically thinking for a moment...should we trust the testimony of a convert when it pertains to the faith they left behind? On the one hand, they do have the experience of at least being in the pew at the other church. They may have varying degrees of other experience with the corporate church. So they do have some credibility. On the other hand, they are not likely to defend the church they left -- why would they?--and their testimony is therefore biased and subjective. With little exception they will defend they new faith they have chosen.

We, of course having our own personal bias, agree with whoever converts to our way of thinking and disagree (and often try to discredit) those who convert to that with which we disagree.

Let's look at the convert issue from a different angle.

Many Christians (both RC & non-RC) convert to Judaism. To Islam. To Buddhism. To Hinduism. To Mormonism. They become atheists. Pagans. Wiccans. Jehovah Witnesses. The list goes on....

Is the testimony those converts give about Christianity wholly accurate? Totally objective? Or would you say it biased against Christians and they don't have a clue what they are talking about?!

Conclusion: The testimonies of converts should be taken with a BIG grain of salt. While they may have some experience (possibly exaggerated) they are by no way, shape or form an reliable, objective source.

The Word War Rages On

A ton of activity at Keeping the Home and Visits to Candyland. Busy me (mom/worker bee) can't keep up.

Candy's post about pictures being worth a thousand words was a good clean hit. My only complaint is the guy who published the pictures insisted on using Philippians 2:10 (KJV) over and over. He's a little out of context, though in a broad sense I suppose it could mean "bow only to Jesus." Here's Philippians 2:9-11 in modern English:

Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

I'd rather see this scripture included with the photos:
Isaiah 44:6-11
This is what the LORD says— Israel's King and Redeemer, the LORD Almighty:
I am the first and I am the last; apart from me there is no God.
Who then is like me? Let him proclaim it. Let him declare and lay out before me what has happened since I established my ancient people, and what is yet to come— yes, let him foretell what will come.
Do not tremble, do not be afraid. Did I not proclaim this and foretell it long ago? You are my witnesses. Is there any God besides me? No, there is no other Rock; I know not one.
All who make idols are nothing, and the things they treasure are worthless. Those who would speak up for them are blind; they are ignorant, to their own shame.
Who shapes a god and casts an idol, which can profit him nothing?
He and his kind will be put to shame; craftsmen are nothing but men. Let them all come together and take their stand; they will be brought down to terror and infamy.

Over at Visits to Candyland someone countered with a bunch of pictures of national monuments. Since when to people bow & pray to national monuments? Lame retort.

Narrow gate?

The narrow gate = Jesus.

Where do we find the narrow gate in scripture:

Matthew 7:13-14
“Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.

Luke 13:22-30
He went on his way through towns and villages, teaching and journeying toward Jerusalem. And someone said to him, “Lord, will those who are saved be few?” And he said to them, “Strive to enter through the narrow door. For many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able. When once the master of the house has risen and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and to knock at the door, saying, ‘Lord, open to us,’ then he will answer you, ‘I do not know where you come from.’ Then you will begin to say, ‘We ate and drank in your presence, and you taught in our streets.’ But he will say, ‘I tell you, I do not know where you come from. Depart from me, all you workers of evil!’ In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God but you yourselves cast out. And people will come from east and west, and from north and south, and recline at table in the kingdom of God. And behold, some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last.

John 10:1-10
“Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door but climbs in by another way, that man is a thief and a robber. But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the gatekeeper opens. The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.” This figure of speech Jesus used with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them.
So Jesus again said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly."

The one and only way to Salvation is through Christ Jesus. He lets in those who recognize His voice, those He knows (i.e. the faithful).

He says nothing in any of those passages about the gate being opened for on us based on our works.

Yes, this applies to you...

A fool finds no pleasure in understanding
but delights in airing his own opinions.

--Proverbs 18:2