Good afternoon and welcome to the open blog forum. A place where we can compare Scripture with Scripture (as interpeted by me) and can freely talk about anything Biblical as long as I deem it is worthy. Well. Let's take our first blogger please, welcome to the open blog forum. Okay so that sounded a little ridiculous. Probably because it is, but maybe not for the reason you think or maybe you do, I dunno. I'm not a mind-reader. Anyway. Onto the disection.
I have a conffesion to make. I enjoy listening to the Open Forum by Mr. Harold Camping (He's older than me and I have that old fashioned respect for elders (as in age not position) standard.).
Phew -- Got that off of my chest.
Now I'm not in the buisness of trying to get you to change your views of Mr. Camping here, but if you do that would be a good by-product.
First, One time I heard this guy ask a seemingly harmless question. It was a good question I thought. Here it is. "How come you never have a guest host of the open forum?" I thought to myself that is a good question. Mr. Camping replies something to this effect, Well, I have been doing the open forum from day one. I enjoy the opportunity to share the Bible with people and having the people share with me. It is a blessing to talk about the Bible. *Pause* The man than repeated the question about guest hosts. Mr. Camping then said the following statement and it struck me really odd, but then after thinking about it it seemed reasonable. He said, Because there are not many other preachers out there who believe the same as I do, in fact if there was one who does believe the same I would let them but there isn't.
Umm.... Is it just me or did he just say he is the only one who believes like he does. Okay, in his defense I may not have quoted him verbatum, but this is what he said. That sounds like private interpretation. Which reminds me of another caller.
Second, "Mr. Camping, does God talk directly to you?" Mr. Camping's response, Through the Bible of course, I sit and study the Scripture on a daily basis, and God's Word speaks to me. The caller than proceded to press the issue into the question of 2011 being the 2nd coming. Mr. Camping deflected the question by saying that it was a revelation of God through the Scriptures, but when the caller asked where, Mr. Camping responded by saying that it would take too much time to discuss how he came to that date, but then goes on a few more minutes talking about the signifigance of numbers in the Bible and telling the caller to read his book. Hmm... Too much time indeed...
Thirdly, Lastly... He determnes how much time each caller gets. I think that is fair. However he can't go about saying to some people (who, I am sure this is circumstancial, are winning argumentation with him) that his time is limited and cut them off and then turn around and say to the next caller who is adoring him (It is funny how they always seem to follow the previous type of caller) Oh, thank you and thank you, but it's about the Bible. And go on and on talking longer than he did with the person that they were actually discussing Bible with... But then it's not about him, it's about the Bible.
In Conclusion, so why do I like to listen to Mr. Camping's open forum. I've got 2 reasons.
1. It's good military strategy to keep up on the enemy's strategem and ways.
2. I can always use a good brush-up on my rhetorical Scripture skills.
Don't worry, I won't be leaving the church and I don't believe that 2011 (while it is an option) is the year of the 2nd coming. He just sounds so grandfatherly... It that story-telling sort of way...
Have A Nice Day
Saturday, May 13, 2006
Sunday, May 07, 2006
I thought God was perfect?
If I want to learn to hit a baseball, I'd go to Hank Aaron if I could.
If I want to learn to shoot a basketball, I'd go to Michael Jordan if I could.
If I want to learn to score a goal, I'd go to Wayne Gretsky if I could.
If I want to learn to make a takedown, I'd go to Kurt Angle if I could.
If I want to learn to _______, I'd go to _______ if I could.
So, what's the point? If any of these guys wrote a book about how to do what they do best, I don't think anyone would dispute what they had to offer. There wouldn't be factions of people going, "I don't think he wrote it that way." or "It actually should be written like this." That would be absolutely ridiculous. But yet, if I want to live the Christian Life, shouldn't I go to God?
Agreed:
1) God wrote the Bible.
2) God used men to physicaly write the Bible.
3) God is perfect (I hope we are agreed on this one).
4) When God created everything, he created everything perfectly.
5) God has a perfect plan that can/will be executed.
Based upon the agreeds, it's good the God we have. So why can't he be perfect? I'm sure no one would out right say that God is not perfect, but implications are still there. Sometimes it is what you don't say that speaks the loudest. Please bear with me, I realize I may be over-simplyfying this, but God did write the Bible for everyone to understand. Even me and my 3rd graders.
Here's my problem. How can anyone say (or imply) that God is not perfect? If Jordan wrote a book on basketball, or Gretsky on Hockey, would anyone argue with them? But yet, God wrote a Book on Himself, His creation, and His works (an autobiography if you will) and people are trying to do some terrible things to it. Terrible things that can be catergorized into one statement, God's not perfect. Follow me with this logic.
Disagrees:
1) God did not perserve his word. = Either is saying God was not capable, or that God did not want to do it. This would mean either something was more powerful that Him or that He gave up caring.
2) Concepts are important, not the actual words. = Either is saying that God didn't choose that right words or that we can wrap our minds around everything that God teaches in the Bible. This would mean either we think we can word things better than God or that our minds are so advanced that they are equal with God. Afterall if it's the concepts that are important than we need to know everything so that when we compare Scripture with Scripture we are comparing the correct concepts with the correct concepts rather than verses with verses.
I'm sure there are other points for the disagrees side. I'm sure they have racked their brains to come up with them too. I'm just thankful I didn't have to think too hard to come up with the idea that God is perfect and so his Word is too. I'm glad God wrote it down. Since He is perfect that means anything He does, logically, has to be perfect. Which includes, but not limited to, word usuage & preservation. Maybe I am just too simple minded to just take God at what He says and believe it. Maybe I need to critize what He wrote to make my ego feel better. But then again, I wouldn't give that honor to Mr. Gretsky, Mr. Jordan, Mr. Angle, Mr. Aaron or Mr. ________ . Afterall, God does want us to have that simple believing faith, just like little children. Shouldn't we go to the expert on a subject? So I guess my conclusion is two-fold.
1) God is perfect (Agreed).
2) Anything God does is perfect (I hope you agree too.)
Christopher Myers
Have A Nice Day
If I want to learn to shoot a basketball, I'd go to Michael Jordan if I could.
If I want to learn to score a goal, I'd go to Wayne Gretsky if I could.
If I want to learn to make a takedown, I'd go to Kurt Angle if I could.
If I want to learn to _______, I'd go to _______ if I could.
So, what's the point? If any of these guys wrote a book about how to do what they do best, I don't think anyone would dispute what they had to offer. There wouldn't be factions of people going, "I don't think he wrote it that way." or "It actually should be written like this." That would be absolutely ridiculous. But yet, if I want to live the Christian Life, shouldn't I go to God?
Agreed:
1) God wrote the Bible.
2) God used men to physicaly write the Bible.
3) God is perfect (I hope we are agreed on this one).
4) When God created everything, he created everything perfectly.
5) God has a perfect plan that can/will be executed.
Based upon the agreeds, it's good the God we have. So why can't he be perfect? I'm sure no one would out right say that God is not perfect, but implications are still there. Sometimes it is what you don't say that speaks the loudest. Please bear with me, I realize I may be over-simplyfying this, but God did write the Bible for everyone to understand. Even me and my 3rd graders.
Here's my problem. How can anyone say (or imply) that God is not perfect? If Jordan wrote a book on basketball, or Gretsky on Hockey, would anyone argue with them? But yet, God wrote a Book on Himself, His creation, and His works (an autobiography if you will) and people are trying to do some terrible things to it. Terrible things that can be catergorized into one statement, God's not perfect. Follow me with this logic.
Disagrees:
1) God did not perserve his word. = Either is saying God was not capable, or that God did not want to do it. This would mean either something was more powerful that Him or that He gave up caring.
2) Concepts are important, not the actual words. = Either is saying that God didn't choose that right words or that we can wrap our minds around everything that God teaches in the Bible. This would mean either we think we can word things better than God or that our minds are so advanced that they are equal with God. Afterall if it's the concepts that are important than we need to know everything so that when we compare Scripture with Scripture we are comparing the correct concepts with the correct concepts rather than verses with verses.
I'm sure there are other points for the disagrees side. I'm sure they have racked their brains to come up with them too. I'm just thankful I didn't have to think too hard to come up with the idea that God is perfect and so his Word is too. I'm glad God wrote it down. Since He is perfect that means anything He does, logically, has to be perfect. Which includes, but not limited to, word usuage & preservation. Maybe I am just too simple minded to just take God at what He says and believe it. Maybe I need to critize what He wrote to make my ego feel better. But then again, I wouldn't give that honor to Mr. Gretsky, Mr. Jordan, Mr. Angle, Mr. Aaron or Mr. ________ . Afterall, God does want us to have that simple believing faith, just like little children. Shouldn't we go to the expert on a subject? So I guess my conclusion is two-fold.
1) God is perfect (Agreed).
2) Anything God does is perfect (I hope you agree too.)
Christopher Myers
Have A Nice Day
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