Archive for the ‘Paterology’ category

Prayer is the playground for our dreams!

March 15th, 2008

Heroes bring hope, then rise to fame
Low they fall from grace
All is lost
Prayer is the playground for our dreams!

Pain consumes the aging body
Unpaid bills stack up
Death is close
Prayer is the playground for our dreams!

One more sermon; one more potluck
Empty religion
Vanity
Prayer is the playground for our dreams!

YHWH is right here; showing us…
Church comes together
Family
Prayer is the playground for our dreams!

* Inspired by Acts 12:6-16
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Posted in Ecclesiology, Paterology, Poetry

Jehovah is not in the Bible!

February 26th, 2008

Did you know that the name “Jehovah” is not in the original Bible?

Exodus 3:14 reveals the personal name of God as “I Am Who I Am” (That’s right, Popeye stole it from God.) In the Hebrew this was written as YHWH . Through time,religionists made this special name so “sacred” that some refused to write it and would insert other names in its place.

The name “Jehovah” probably first came into use during the Middle Ages where the consonants from the revealed name of God; YHWH, and  the vowels from one of the generic terms for God: adonai, were combined into the new Man-made word “Jehovah.”

As time went by, the Hebrew was translated into Latin, the Latin into German and  the German into English.  Eventually the translation from one language to the next converted the “Y” into a “J” and the “W” into a “V”.   If you have ever met someone with a German accent, you will notice how the letter “w” is pronounced like the English “v” and the letter “y” is pronounced with “j” sound.   Eventually the King James translation adopted the made-up term “Jehovah” which is not really in the Bible.  Of course this has a lot of important implications for all of the King James Version Only folks, the Jehovah’s Witness faithful, and even for all of our English translations.

There is a newer practice of writing the personal name of God as, “Yahweh.”  This translation brings back the revealed name of God by using the Hebrew consonants with the addition of vowels to make it more readable in English.  This is a completely acceptable translation.  However, my own practice is simply use the Hebrew consonants with no added vowels, but the pronunciation of YHWH is the same as Yahweh.

I hope that helps my readers better understand why I use the personal name of God; YHWH, in my writing.

This blog post is based on my Bible curriculum available at EmergingLife.org.

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Posted in Bibliology, OT Translation, Paterology

When Love Conquers Compassion

January 30th, 2008

She walks her son down the long hospital hallway. People scurry about and take no notice of the suffering mother and child. Mattie holds firmly to his mom; in part to keep his balance, but mostly he wants to feel her warm hands in his own. “I’m tired mom. Please, I want to sit down;” but she does not let her son stop. He has to keep walking. He must exercise his limbs or his body will not heal. Only two days earlier Mattie was burned when a pot of boiling water was knocked from the stove; severely injuring his arm and leg. Pain now fills Mattie’s three-year-old body, but his mother’s love must force her son to walk. It takes every ounce of strength to resist the urge to pick up her son, to hold him, to comfort him, and to let him sit in his little red wagon. If Mattie is to recover from his burns, love must conquer compassion. Holding back the tears, a mother’s love must force her son to experience suffering. Healing is on the other side of pain.

Where are you along life’s path? Do you hurt? Does no one stop to notice your pain? In the darkest moments, you cry out to your god, “Where are you now! If you are real… if you are really loving… Where are you now when I need you the most!” Anger is a constant companion. Sorrow seems like the only escape from depression.

Only when your “god” becomes Father will you understand. Only when you experience a love that forces you to walk will you know rest. You must pass through the agony before the ultimate healing comes. Step after painful step; hold firm to the warm hand of the Father and know true love that conquers compassion.

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    Posted in Family, Paterology

    Everyone Expects the Spanish Inquisition (reprise)

    June 15th, 2007

    Recently I preached on the first part of Luke chapter 8 (commonly called the “Parable of the Sower”). I am not a real fan of the title, but this parable, in the context of the narrative that surrounds it, reminded me a lot of the old Monty Python skits about the Spanish Inquisition. If you don’t know about those skits, here is a video that will give you some insight into this comedy classic.

    The Spanish Inquisition of history was about the judgment and condemnation of the Roman Catholic Church upon anyone who stepped out of line with their dogma. The narratives in Luke 8 make it clear that the people in Jesus’ day expected it too. The Pharisees got mad when Jesus did not bring judgment on “sinners” and John the Baptist got upset when Jesus did not bring the wrath of God’s judgment down upon the Romans, and even the woman who washed his feet never expected Jesus could bring total forgiveness from her sin.

    Everyone expects the Spanish Inquisition, but nobody expects Jesus. Nobody expects a loving God who brings hope. Nobody expects a loving God who brings salvation. Jesus constantly and continually blew away the expectations people had of him. My prayer is that we, as the followers of Jesus, bring something to our world that nobody expects.

    Everyone expects the Spanish Inquisition, but what will you offer the people in your life?

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    Posted in Evangelism, Hamartology, Humor, Paterology, Religion, Soteriology