New Covenant

First Sunday of Advent, 2011 - Hope

Today is the first Sunday of Advent for 2011.

Hope.

In our frenetic, fast-food-paced culture, we tend to equate "hope" with such notions as "wishing," "positive attitude," and "uncertainty". People tend to make statements along the lines of:   "I hope I pulled an A on my Physics test" or "I hope that everything will turn out okay" or "We'll just have to hope for the best."

Yet Biblical hope is not defined as mere wishful thinking for the best possible outcome, all while acknowledging we can never be certain of said outcome. Indeed, Biblical hope is grounded in the understanding that we have a knowledge of what has been promised and a certainty within our minds and hearts of that which will occur. Our task, therefore, is not to worry about whether or not that which we hope for will occur, but to properly work out our existence until our hope is eventually realized.

The Promise

Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you. 2 And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” - Gen 12:1-3 ESV

God promised Abram redemption, through blessing, not only to Abram's seed, but to all the families of the earth.

That which will occur

1 Now muster your troops, O daughter of troops; siege is laid against us; with a rod they strike the judge of Israel on the cheek. 2 But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days. - Micah 5:1-2 ESV

 

14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. - Isaiah 7:14 ESV

The event of the promise - the realization of the Hope - the long promised Messiah, the Christ. The God of Abraham, established in history, declares a Promise with which His followers place their trust - their hope - on.

images - © 2011 A. R. Lopez

Merry Christmas, and a Happy Advent!

On Ben Witherington's comments regarding firearms

Ben Witherington is a Biblical scholar whom I highly respect. While I've not read any of his books, I have heard him interviewed several times, and recently read his critique of Frank Viola & George Barna's book Pagan Christianity. When it comes to New Testament data, you'd be hard pressed to get a better or more thorough commentator.

However, in perusing his site, I ran across a post he wrote (just after the 2011 Tucson shooting in which Rep. Gabby Giffords was gravely wounded and 6 other people killed) regarding firearms and gun ownership in general. Suffice it to say that he is less than enthusiastic about the manner with which the 2nd Amendment is exercised in 21st century America. While he is entitled to his opinion, I must say that I consider his arguments to be weak and without substantial basis.

 In Guns and Religion - Enough is Quite Enough, Witherington lists the following pro-gun arguments which, as he puts it, are actually "myths".

Myth # 1: "Guns don't kill people"

Myth # 2: "If we ban guns, only criminals will have guns"

Myth # 3: "The Constitution and the Bill of Rights gives the private citizen the right to own whatever gun his heart desires"

Myth # 4: "Hunting Animals (e.g. Deer) is a Sport"

Myth # 5: "The Best Way to Protect Yourself and Your Family is to Buy Guns"

Rather than actually address these "myths" properly, however, he resorts to erecting straw men, following illogical paths, tossing out red herrings, and presenting false or misleading information. Let me address what I believe to be the problems with his arguments.

Only in California (v. 3)

Paramedics equipped with oxygen masks for... pets?
From the OC Register,

Every fire engine and truck operated by the Orange County Fire Authority will now carry oxygen masks for household pets – thanks to a donation from an Anaheim pet owner whose rescued dog was displaced in a wildfire.

Is this merely a sign of compassion in our society, where we acknowledge the soulish qualities of higher mammals? Or does it reflect a potentially twisted view which places certain species of the animal kingdom on a higher plane than warranted? Or... is this merely another indicator of a society so immersed in peace and prosperity, that we are able to allocate resources to such an end?

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Church Food Bank donations - picked up by limo?
A tad much to expect your food donations for an elderly couple will be picked up by their limo? From the article,

An email sent out to members of the Crystal Cathedral congregation requesting meals for founder Robert H. Schuller's wife Arvella, who is ill with pneumonia, is creating mixed feelings of sadness and outrage among members.

According to longtime member Jim McDonald, an email was sent out by administrators to Bible study groups as well as church elders, asking that meals for the reverend's wife be dropped off at the cathedral's Tower of Hope where the Schullers' limo drivers will be waiting to pick them up at the designated time.

Sigh.

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Ahhh, Disneyland - the happiest place on Earth... even for coyotes
Seriously, folks, you've got to watch out for these critters just about all over the country or, even in pump tunnels.

A coyote wandered onto the grounds of the Disneyland Hotel last month and somehow got into a pump room in the tunnels beneath the hotel.

Disneyland Resort security personnel contacted Orange County Animal Care at 10:13 a.m. on Oct. 10 to see if they could come out and help.

They may not always get the roadrunner, but they get just about everything else.

I suppose Disney Security had to call Animal Care because they were too busy surrounding 10 year-old girls and elderly ladies in motorized wheelchairs. What? Didn't hear about that one?

 

 

Friday Food Foto (v. 32)

The Migas Plate, at La Casita, in Orange, CA. Scrambled eggs mixed with fried corn tortilla strips, served with rice and beans (sprinkled with cheese), along with a couple of homemade flour tortillas.

Oh yeah.

Enjoy!

- image © 2011 AR Lopez

Links for Saturday, 5 November 2011

Online Security (HT: Justin Taylor)
A 5 part series providing good tips and info on keeping your online actions secure. I've added snippets from each part.

Part 1 -General Overview

There is still risk in using the Internet (inversely proportional to the amount of effort the user puts into security), and this guide makes no mention to the many online security risks users have absolutely no control over (you might have nightmares and be frightened off the Internet if I told you about those).

Part 2 -General Tips

Log out of web based email, banking/shopping sites and social networks such as Facebook when you are not actively using them. If for example you have Facebook logged in on one tab, malicious code on another site in another tab can attack your Facebook account.

Part 3 -Social Networking

Facebook applications can attack users, including their other social networks, other friends on social networks and other sites, including banking sites. The only even relatively safe way to use Facebook is to turn off all Facebook apps and quizzes.

Part 4 - Banking & Shopping

If the site does not use https, do not use it.

Part 5 - Privacy

Many people ignorantly downplay the risk of privacy, saying that they have “nothing to hide.” However, privacy is not mainly about hiding bad behavior, but about controlling the context in which personal details about our lives are disclosed. All of us have had sensitive, very personal conversations with our closes friends that we would not make public.

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If faced with a mob, thank the founding fathers you're able to have a shotgun in your hands
From the files of Tea Party OWS violence, it seems that one developer in San Francisco was able to "discourage" a mob from vandalizing the building he works in, without having to wait for the authorities to show up (assuming, of course, that they would show up).

"We had people who attempted to break into our building," the landmark Rotunda Building on Frank Ogawa Plaza outside City Hall, Tagami said Thursday. He grabbed a shotgun that he usually keeps at home, went down to the ground floor and "discouraged them," he said.

"I was standing there and they saw me there, and I lifted it - I didn't point it - I just held it in my hands," Tagami said. "And I just racked it, and they ran."

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Freedom of Religion distortion of the day
Once again, we see the misguided notion that the 1st Amendment of the Constitution is all about freedom FROM religion instead of freedom of religion.

Ron Baker, pastor at Russell Baptist Church in Green Cove Springs, said that he would continue to pray no matter what happens. The flagpole, which is the site where the prayers have been taken place, is at the center of an ideological standoff between the school board and those who wish to pray. “Did you ever think that in America you’d be in trouble for praying at the flag? It’s disturbing.” Baker told Fox News.

The issue was raised when the attorney for the Clay County School Board, J. Bruce Bickner, submitted an opinion declaring that praying at the flagpole was against the law, “it is a violation of the United States Constitution for a teacher, school administrator or other school district employee to join in a prayer session during their work time.” Wrote Bickner.

[emphasis added]

Umm... no, it's not.

The first amendment protects the people from the government establishing a state religion, as well as allowing the citizenry the right to exercise the religion of their choice.

For Bickner to be correct, he will have to demonstrate how holding the prayer during school hours is equivalent to the state establishing a religion (which would certainly surprise quite a few other protestant denominations, Islamic, Jewish, Hindu, etc. congregations across the country), and how this action could prevent anyone, including Bickner, from exercising the religion of their choice.

Good luck.

 

Friday Food Foto (v. 31)

Friday mornings and... breakfast burritos. They surely must have been made for each other.

This baby comes to us via Johnnie's Jr., in Orange, CA. Standard innards - including egg, potato, and meat (ham, in this case). Add some salsa on the side, and you're set.

Enjoy!

- image © 2011 AR Lopez

Links for Thursday, 3 November 2011

Is the term "Christian Yoga" an oxymoron?
It doesn't seem to be to many evangelicals, who embrace the practice of yoga, sometimes couched in Christian terms. Pastor Mark Driscoll gives us his views,

There is nothing wrong with stretching, exercising, or regulating one’s stress through breathing. But when the tenets of yoga are included, it’s by definition a worship act to spirit beings other than the God of the Bible. By way of analogy, there is nothing inherently wrong with intimacy, sex, and pleasure. But when the tenets of adultery are included, it’s a sinfully idolatrous worship act. A faithful Christian can no more say they are practicing yoga for Jesus than they can say they are committing adultery for Jesus.

Read it all.

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Steve Jobs: cared about humanity but not about humans
So says Tim Challies, in his review of the recent biography on Jobs.

A brutal man with a terrible temper and a genuine god complex, he was also a man who drove people to new heights of innovation and creativity. As much as people hated to receive a tongue-lashing from Jobs, they knew that in the end he motivated them and pushed them to do better. And this is a crucial component of the strange legacy of Steve Jobs. He will forever be known as a great innovator and a man who lived at the crossroads between the humanities and the sciences. In his own field and in his own way, he sought to make the world a better place. But he did so at the expense of so many people whom he left abandoned and brutalized. It’s like he cared for humanity but not for humans, for mankind but not for individuals.

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The price of peanut butter is skyrocketing
So... try Sunbutter. It's a great alternative (especially for those unfortunate souls who happen to be allergic to peanuts).

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One way to keep violent crime under control? Arm yourself.
So says one sheriff.