Tried With Fire

In a recent conversation with my daughter, she reminded me of the importance of context when we read God's Word: "Sometimes we think the Bible is just a PowerPoint presentation. The verses get turned into bullet points. We're interested in getting the answer to a question, so we cherry-pick the "bullet point" and forget that the verse is part of a chapter that's part of a whole book that's part of God's revelation." This got me thinking and resulted in this post at Out of the Ordinary . Read more here. ..

After hearing quite a bit about biblical interpretation this past week-end, my daughter made an interesting observation. "Why do mystics read into the Bible when they don't read everything else that way?" Good question, no? Can you imagine any Christian, mystic or otherwise, taking liberties with a memo from his boss, a contract with a client, or the 1040 tax form? What about an email or a handwritten letter? If my friend is writing about a walk around the lake, would I dare assume that it's an allegory for her journey through life? Ridiculous! Then why on earth do we take liberties when we read God's Word? It seems a bit arrogant and presumptuous to me. If we're willing to respect the intent of the memo, the terms of the contract, and the tax laws (perhaps grudgingly), shouldn't God's Word afford the same if not more honor? Rather than reading between the lines for some deeper, ooh-ahh meaning, maybe we should learn to read His Word for what it ...

If you wandered around the blogsphere recently, you've seen the critical posts and counterposts about the purity movement. To be clear, I believe the Bible commands believers to flee sexual immorality. At the same time, I believe that the sin of sexual immorality is not beyond the reach of gospel. However, as I pull out my worm-can opener, I think many of the criticisms are valid. Granted the purity movement is varied, but from what I have seen and read, there's too much emphasis on "doing it right" and very little gospel grace. Shame as a tactic to promote desired behavior is nothing short of legalism. I've seen people crushed under self-condemnation because they failed to live up to every jot and tittle and perceived themselves as "damaged" good. I've known others who have followed the prescription and expected heaven-on-earth only to be shocked when picture perfect courtship does not guarantee happily-ever-after. As my daughter and I were dis...

I was never part of the in crowd from kindergarten on up. I have never fit in and I still don't. I have yet to find a Bible tailored to my niche demographic - Asian American, single, homeschooling moms who like Star Wars and get mail from AARP. If I"m honest, I want acceptance, and I want to fit in even if it's fitting in among those who don't. Recently, I was bemoaning that lack of fit-in-ness or doing an indirect boast ("Hah! You'll never pigeonhole me, you pigeon-holers. I defy categorization!") I'm not sure which it was, when my daughter said to me, "The only category you need to be concerned about is being in Christ, and God has already fit you in." Bingo. In Christ   - the only place where real acceptance can be found, where we can find peace and our true identify, and the only category where eternity is at stake. Life and death hang in the balance on whether you're in or out.  We can strive to get in with all our might, bu...

We recently attended a fundraiser for NightLight International , a Christian organization that provides relief, rescue, and shelter for women trapped in prostitution and human trafficking in Thailand. There was a brief video explaining the group's mission with glimpses of the bar scene in Bangkok. The film was probably sanitized, but it was still sickening to see young girls dressed provocatively for the sole purpose of attracting male clientele. We learned that in these bars the women have name tags, but there's no name, just a number, reducing them to an item to be bartered and sold. On the drive home, my daughter commented how these Thai women would give anything to be free from marketing themselves sexually, but  in our warped American culture, it seems that women want to be seen this way. In Thailand, they know only to well the ugliness and degradation of being exploited. Whereas in America, women blindly believe they are adding to their personal worth when they...

" I'm glad I'm a nobody because I'm less likely to be tempted by something I know I will never have." This was a statement from my daughter while we were discussing celebrity culture in the church and recent events in evangelicalism. I think she's right. The lure of visibility and popularity is so strong. Plus it's easier to gain notice nowadays with thousands being reached by the click of a mouse. But with success comes potential grave danger. We're all prone to pride and/or idolatry, which fuels this fire. The celebrity begins to feel that he is above any criticism or correction because numbers become the proof, not fidelity to the word of God. This is exacerbated by the fan base. Their hero or heroine may become infallible in their eyes, though they would be hard pressed to admit it. Therefore, any valid criticism will be received with a deaf ear, because deep down its a reflection on their own spirituality. Thank God, Jesus said that He will ...

My daughter and I had a very interesting discussion yesterday about objections to unconditional election and limited atonement because they violated man's "free" will.  This is a paraphrase of her a few of her comments: The Biblical (and Calvinist) view of love is if you love someone that you want what is best for them, which is Christ, not necessarily what they think they need or want.  You told me when I was little that you won't give me whatever I want because you love me.   People say that God loves them so much He won't violate their free will.  But when you think about it, a "God" who won't violate your free will is not very loving.  "He" lets us have our own way, not what's best for us.  Is that really love?  Do we really know what is best for ourselves? Sure in the garden, Adam had the will to choose but he chose wrong before sin came in.  Do we really think with sin in us that we would be able to choose better than Adam?