Entries from November 2007 ↓

Here at Affectional Writ posts have always been written text for you to read, which I think is one of the basic definitions of a blog - readable text. But now, you not only have the option to read the Writ, but also to LISTEN to the Writ. That’s right, Affectional Writ has been podcasted. Courtesy of odiogo, you can subscribe to the podcast and listen to the posts on the go.

Click on the link below to access the podcast page where there are further instructions on how to subscribe and where you can download posts individually.

affectional writ podcast

Note: I understand that probably 100% of my readers would never feel the desire to listen to what I write here, but it being a cool, new innovation, I thought I’d give it a shot.

I have now found my new favorite game: Free Rice. This game primarily keeps my attention because I love words and I love learning new ones. I also like a good challenge and if I can learn in that process than all the better. Not only does this game increase my vocabulary, but it also helps donate rice to people who need it.

I do wonder though, who counts all that rice? I mean, if you are donating specific amounts of rice, doesn’t that mean that someone somewhere is counting those small grains? I’ve heard my Dad explain futility as shoveling gravel from one pile to another, but I think counting billions of grains of rice just might top the list in terms of vain exercises.

Anyway, give it a try, you just might learn a new word or two.

On Thursday, I woke up at 3:30am and Doc Halstead and left at 4:30am for San Diego to attend the Evangelical Theological Society Annual Conference. This conference brings people from all around the country together to discuss hundreds of theological and biblical issues among hundreds of scholars.

If nothing else, I realized ,once again, how much I do not know. These guys have spent years in their respective fields of study and thus the papers that they write are extremely insightful and thought-provoking. Here are three of the seminars that had the most impact on me.

The Grammar of Matthew 28:19-20a

by Stanley Porter

He discussed the participles in these verses and how they affect the meaning verse. He made an argument from his analysis of the Greek that contradicted Dan Wallace. His purpose was to bring a fresh perspective to this text. As you can probably tell from my description, I barely understood what he was talking about. I will be getting his paper and plan on reading it carefully to understand it better.

Why it is Never Right to Lie: Making a case from the Bible and not from hard cases

by Wayne Grudem

Grudem did a phenomenal job at provoking the minds those who attended his seminar. His definition of lying was: in speech or writing, affirming X when X is false. He discussed issues such as misleading actions, silence, and lies for surprise birthday parties.

His thesis was this: The Bible forbids and commands against lying and thus we must obey God and then trust Him for the results. He applied this principle to Scriptural and modern day examples, such as hiding Jews in Nazi Germany. This topic is a great discussion starter. Try it - just ask someone if it is ever right to lie, but be prepared for a sticky subject.

Fully God, Fully Man: Impeccability and Temptation

by Bruce Ware

I was most impressed with Ware. He presented a new approach to discussing the subject of whether Jesus could sin or not. But what impressed me wasn’t just the material, but also how he presented it. He loved Jesus Christ and wanted above all else, to see Him glorified and magnified through his presentation.

His premise was this: The answers to the questions “Could Jesus sin?” and “Did Jesus sin?” differ. They are typically both answered with - “because Jesus is God.” But he argued that the first question is answered that way, but the second one is not answered with His deity, but with His humanity. Ware says that Jesus did not sin because He resisted temptation with all that was available to Him within His flesh, as He depended on the Father and lived through the Spirit. Again, this subject makes for some great discussion.

I’m thankful for a great day full of learning and discussion. A whole day with Doc listening to experts on the Bible - can life get any better? I submit that it cannot.

This article tells the great story of how the gospel changed a woman’s life through the love of a believer and John Piper’s book Don’t Waste Your Life. I encourage you to take two minutes to read this short account and remind yourself of the gospel, which is the power of God unto salvation (Romans 1:16).

“It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil; for he gives to his beloved sleep.”
Psalm 127:2

This verse came as a blessed reminder this morning. I can have the tendency, in the name of discipline, to push myself to get things done, believing that the Lord will bless what I do no matter what I sacrifice to do it, as long as it is for the purpose of godliness. I think there is an element of that which is true, and yet there is a fine line between disciplining for godliness and straining for acceptance - acceptance before God and men.

I know that I need a better understanding of this gift of sleep. I too often excuse my feasting on “the bread of anxious toil” by saying that I’m thinking about something or working through an issue. The contrast is to fast from that bread and “in everything, by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God” (Philippians 4:6). Prayer is the gauge by which I can measure whether I am depending on myself or on the Lord.