Life Happens.........
Well, its been a spell since I have posted so I should at least explain some of what has been going on in my world.
Nothing exciting, at least not the excitement that I prefer.
Nothing but life, and then more life, with an extra helping of life on the side, topped with a little red life on top.
In fact, I still have plenty of life going on as I type. Some of life has subsided, some has not. I have had lots of life taken away, and some of life restored. I have finished part of life, yet still have lots of life left to do. A little life, sometimes, goes and goes and goes........a long way.
OK, now that’s that out of the way. For the moment, I do in fact feel better about life. After all, if I didn’t have any, I would probably be bored..........................
I was celebrating finishing a little of life last Thursday by reading my friend Tim Brown's blog. It seems he indeed has a much larger helping of life to deal with then I. After all, I have not been falsely accused of mistreating my children. Thank you Tim for the message the other day. I appreciate it. We will talk soon. You and your family are of course in my prayers.
As I was trying to catch up on my pal from the East via the Clay Pot, I noticed I had been 'tagged' quite some time ago. I think it was Feb 2. I will comply and respond below.
My reading has been in a holding pattern. I did reread Gentry’s 'Beast of Revelation', per our discussion last fall with my super-blogin buddy, Gordan. I came away from the book thinking that the use of Church Tradition as an iron clad argument for dispelling an early date of John's Revelation is not nearly solid enough to in fact reject the early date. Sure, the preterist needs an early date, or his argument is void. But so what? If I am saved by Grace through Faith, I need the Bible to be the Word of God. I don’t believe because I want too, or because it fits my subjective desires, nor do I believe its true because belief is enough, whether its true or not. I believe because of proof. The late date tradition is one that may be the majority view in our day, but an objective look at the statements of those gone before us shows me that a case for an early date is just as viable as one for a late date within patristic evidences. Can you be a futurist and hold to an early date? Sure. Does that make it true? No, not in the least. You could not however hold to a late date, and be a preterist. Does that make a preterist understanding wrong? Of course not.
The basic premise of whether a system needs a specific date or not, is not a positive or negative for its ultimate truth, unless the record of the event it self records a date within it. Example: The Torah says it was written primarily by Moses. The document would be false if found to have been written by priests in the Babylonian captivity per the Documentary Hypothesis supporters.
Or the events within the narrative contradict other known events. Neither of which we find in the Bible. Fortunately, we have events described in John's unveiling. In fact, the very name dispels John as the unveilee. It is Christ that is unveiled, the events are described are His revealing. The question then becomes, who is He revealing Himself to?
Anyway, enough jibber jabbering.
TAGGED:
Like I said, my reading has been limited. I can’t really use Gentry as I already read it. So, I had to dig around in my head to remember what I was reading way back when. I came up with two books.
I was reading Gordan's book last summer for about 30 minutes a day during my lunch break. The reason I bought the book was not only because the blogfamous Gordan wrote it, but because of the great big Navy Submarine emblem on the cover. My dad was a submariner' and he was very proud, as I am of him, for his service beneath the dark waters of the Sea. He passed away right at 1 and a half years ago and quite frankly, that’s when 'life' as I know it now began. I can not describe how I feel now that he is gone. It is not a fleeting feeling of subjectiveness. It is a full blown feeling that has objectively changed me. I am different. Mostly in a negative way, at least inside and probably more than I know, on the outside. I am different and I really can not think of way my new psyche is good. I suppose I should keep searching.
Anyway, I don’t mean to get all weirded out. But then again, most of us don’t ever really mean too. Left is a picture of my dads boat. The USS Trutta 421. I can almost see him there.
Back to the fast paced, edge of your truck seat kind of fiction from the mind of a noble and fearless man;
Page 123, 4th sentence down through the next 3 reads:
Mark felt like he had just gone to sleep.
"No kidding? Is my mom on the phone up there?"
The second book I started actually restarted from exactly 2 years ago but not making it to my self imposed re-start cut off page.
(Half way) Gimme a break, notes excluded it is still over 600 pages! Some prolegomena!
Reformed Dogmatics; Prolegomena Vol I, Herman Bavinck (1854-1921), 2003 by the Dutch Reformed Translation Society, Baker Academic Grand Rapids MI
Nothing exciting, at least not the excitement that I prefer.
Nothing but life, and then more life, with an extra helping of life on the side, topped with a little red life on top.
In fact, I still have plenty of life going on as I type. Some of life has subsided, some has not. I have had lots of life taken away, and some of life restored. I have finished part of life, yet still have lots of life left to do. A little life, sometimes, goes and goes and goes........a long way.
OK, now that’s that out of the way. For the moment, I do in fact feel better about life. After all, if I didn’t have any, I would probably be bored..........................
I was celebrating finishing a little of life last Thursday by reading my friend Tim Brown's blog. It seems he indeed has a much larger helping of life to deal with then I. After all, I have not been falsely accused of mistreating my children. Thank you Tim for the message the other day. I appreciate it. We will talk soon. You and your family are of course in my prayers.
As I was trying to catch up on my pal from the East via the Clay Pot, I noticed I had been 'tagged' quite some time ago. I think it was Feb 2. I will comply and respond below.
My reading has been in a holding pattern. I did reread Gentry’s 'Beast of Revelation', per our discussion last fall with my super-blogin buddy, Gordan. I came away from the book thinking that the use of Church Tradition as an iron clad argument for dispelling an early date of John's Revelation is not nearly solid enough to in fact reject the early date. Sure, the preterist needs an early date, or his argument is void. But so what? If I am saved by Grace through Faith, I need the Bible to be the Word of God. I don’t believe because I want too, or because it fits my subjective desires, nor do I believe its true because belief is enough, whether its true or not. I believe because of proof. The late date tradition is one that may be the majority view in our day, but an objective look at the statements of those gone before us shows me that a case for an early date is just as viable as one for a late date within patristic evidences. Can you be a futurist and hold to an early date? Sure. Does that make it true? No, not in the least. You could not however hold to a late date, and be a preterist. Does that make a preterist understanding wrong? Of course not.
The basic premise of whether a system needs a specific date or not, is not a positive or negative for its ultimate truth, unless the record of the event it self records a date within it. Example: The Torah says it was written primarily by Moses. The document would be false if found to have been written by priests in the Babylonian captivity per the Documentary Hypothesis supporters.
Or the events within the narrative contradict other known events. Neither of which we find in the Bible. Fortunately, we have events described in John's unveiling. In fact, the very name dispels John as the unveilee. It is Christ that is unveiled, the events are described are His revealing. The question then becomes, who is He revealing Himself to?
Anyway, enough jibber jabbering.
TAGGED:
Like I said, my reading has been limited. I can’t really use Gentry as I already read it. So, I had to dig around in my head to remember what I was reading way back when. I came up with two books.
I was reading Gordan's book last summer for about 30 minutes a day during my lunch break. The reason I bought the book was not only because the blogfamous Gordan wrote it, but because of the great big Navy Submarine emblem on the cover. My dad was a submariner' and he was very proud, as I am of him, for his service beneath the dark waters of the Sea. He passed away right at 1 and a half years ago and quite frankly, that’s when 'life' as I know it now began. I can not describe how I feel now that he is gone. It is not a fleeting feeling of subjectiveness. It is a full blown feeling that has objectively changed me. I am different. Mostly in a negative way, at least inside and probably more than I know, on the outside. I am different and I really can not think of way my new psyche is good. I suppose I should keep searching.
Anyway, I don’t mean to get all weirded out. But then again, most of us don’t ever really mean too. Left is a picture of my dads boat. The USS Trutta 421. I can almost see him there.
Back to the fast paced, edge of your truck seat kind of fiction from the mind of a noble and fearless man;
Page 123, 4th sentence down through the next 3 reads:
Mark felt like he had just gone to sleep.
"No kidding? Is my mom on the phone up there?"
The second book I started actually restarted from exactly 2 years ago but not making it to my self imposed re-start cut off page.
(Half way) Gimme a break, notes excluded it is still over 600 pages! Some prolegomena!
Reformed Dogmatics; Prolegomena Vol I, Herman Bavinck (1854-1921), 2003 by the Dutch Reformed Translation Society, Baker Academic Grand Rapids MI
Page 123, beginning with the 4th complete sentence through the next 3:
"Theology arose, not from within and for the church and for the purpose of training its ministers, but prompted by and in opposition to the attacks aimed at Christianity. Naturally, knowledge of pagan philosophy was needed for such rational activity. Actually theology originated with the help of and in alliance with philosophy."
"Theology arose, not from within and for the church and for the purpose of training its ministers, but prompted by and in opposition to the attacks aimed at Christianity. Naturally, knowledge of pagan philosophy was needed for such rational activity. Actually theology originated with the help of and in alliance with philosophy."
With that, I will select my taggees’. Both of which I am sure, have lots of life as well so no hurry after all it has taken me a month to even know I was tagged! (page 123 of the current books you are reading, recite the 4th sentence down, three sentences in a row.)
One is my good friend and Sunday School teacher, Chuck Kiser.
Second, my friend Brady Owens from Texas.
One is my good friend and Sunday School teacher, Chuck Kiser.
Second, my friend Brady Owens from Texas.
I would include my good friend, Clinton Briar but I think he has given up on trying to convince blog-spot that he is not a spammer! I know you’re not a spammer dude, know matter what Blog-spot says!
Thanks Tim, for luring me away from 'life'! Albeit just for a few moments!
See you all soon.
-Vassal of the great King-
Labels: Life-n-General
posted by Hank at 12:23 AM
4 Comments:
Hank, I'll wait for some other opportunity to debate your hopelessly flawed view of Revelation :) LOL
I wanted to say that I can really empathize when you speak of the loss of your father and how it has changed you, but done so in a way that you would be very hard-pressed to define. The same is true for me, as today marks one year since we buried my son, Noah James. I am quite certain that I am not the same person I was...but I honestly do not know if I am better or worse. I must trust because of Romans 8:28 (et al) that I will end up better for it, but the sense of that escapes me for now.
I am very happy to see you blogging again. A couple of things I found humorous in this post:
"Life" becomes a four-letter word, substituting for another that the sailor in me would rather use.
The use of the term "blogfamous" to describe me. Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha.
Oh, and I am honored to know that you are reading Prowl. I hope you don't get to the final page and say, "Well, there's a bunch of time I won't get back..."
Gordan
I am very sorry. I loved my dad very much but I as well have a son. I feel selfish in my emotions, compared to what you have lived. My brother buried a young son several years ago. Indeed life happens and I as well trust Gods Word in Romans 8:28. I just hope I can grow through this and be a better servant in the process. Work in progress for sure.
I am glad you got a chuckle. I chuckled when reading your last sentence to my wife. The problem is the laughter can change directions in a split second.
Once again, I am truly sorry and my prayers are with you. Thanks brother.
There is no need at all to be sorry for the way you feel in your loss. I brace at the idea that some of us "deserve" to feel a certain way and some don't. Both our losses are real, and I thank you for your prayers.
I was talking about this with my middle daughter yesterday, and we concluded together that this is the moment in our lives when spiritual warfare really happens and faith is truly tested. Will we continue to trust when none of our senses confirm that we should? It's easy to have faith in Sunday School, my brother, but the rubber has hit the road in both our lives and this is the time for men of God to meet the challenge.
Hey Hank,
Thought I would check some of the blog list today and saw you had posted. Certainly we both are experiencing God's wonderful Providence and it contains both happy and sad circumstances, but in both there is comfort knowing that God is indeed in control and man is not just acting upon his own whims.
I am in the midst of Prowl as well, reading it with the family at night and we are enjoying it.
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