tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-62232832011-07-08T05:01:56.472-05:00Ugh-Lee ThoughtsMusings of a Simple MindBillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11201671072415746321noreply@blogger.comBlogger901100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6223283.post-2045579790632258942009-08-29T09:32:00.000-05:002009-08-29T09:32:55.141-05:00We've Moved
Ugh-Lee Thoughts has moved to Wordpress! http://www.ughleethoughts.wordpress.com
We will be transferring some of the more recent discussions from this blog to the new site.
Billhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11201671072415746321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6223283.post-3853456343030575702009-08-25T21:13:00.002-05:002009-08-25T21:24:27.096-05:00If you want to learn about water, don't ask a fish. An old proverb from China if I am not mistaken. It comes to mind because over the past few years I have become more and more troubled by some things I hear from other Christians and even some ministry leaders. Recently, I have had several people refer to other blogs that are critical of ministries that focus their discipling efforts on the Billhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11201671072415746321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6223283.post-57048152000897832312009-01-21T17:02:00.002-06:002009-01-21T17:32:10.398-06:00Taking too long between posts. Anyway......I believe there are activities that weaken, even threaten the structure of the local church in regards to its purpose as the pillar and support of the truth. But as Steve suggested in the comments, they have more to do with who I am than what I am doing. The Leaders of the local assembly have a great responsibility and risk before them. The context Billhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11201671072415746321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6223283.post-19005573086212952042009-01-08T19:20:00.003-06:002009-01-08T19:51:12.416-06:00Returning to 1 Timothy 3:15 we move from the requirements in John 4:24 for true worship to a statement of purpose. The church is to be the pillar and support of the truth. It seems clear from the passage that Paul is speaking of the local church since that is where Timothy must "conduct" himself in his ministry. The imagery suggests the purpose. The local church is to elevate or hold up the Billhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11201671072415746321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6223283.post-16174873149464114602008-12-29T14:52:00.002-06:002008-12-29T15:06:22.514-06:00Worship must be in spirit and truth. That is the imperative we must follow in our churches, but we know that what we consider true varies from church to church (and even from one person to the next). So, we find the need to hold the idea of truth in John 4:24 to within the limits of the immediate context; or, we would have to say no one is actually ever engaged in true worship. I go with the Billhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11201671072415746321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6223283.post-82795194960633499952008-12-25T14:48:00.004-06:002008-12-25T17:15:58.252-06:00My last post was the short answer, but we must be careful not to miss the point. It is far too easy for us to define God down to someone we can manage. Something I noticed years ago in reading the Old Testament was the care with which God would identify Himself when addressing mankind. The burning bush incident with Moses is a good example. God wanted Moses to know He was the same God who had Billhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11201671072415746321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6223283.post-69601930154866806312008-12-16T19:47:00.002-06:002008-12-16T19:59:51.188-06:00OK, it was very busy couple of weeks. I left the prior post with the Pilate dilema. What is truth? The quick answer would be to look at the immediate context. Verse 22 suggest that Jesus primary point about truth is the truth of who God is. We must not worship a God of our own making, but only the God revealed in scripture. That would by extension include understanding the Trinity, so JesusBillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11201671072415746321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6223283.post-41644744309854760802008-11-29T10:25:00.002-06:002008-11-29T10:47:53.633-06:00Jesus, in saying we must worship in spirit and truth, is attacking the conventional thinking of His day. The Samaritan woman was concerned with location and ritual when she spoke of worship. The Jews were concerned with much the same. Worship was an activity, a ritual to be followed. The focus was on external details. Jesus said worship was really internal, that is spiritual. The word Billhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11201671072415746321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6223283.post-63590663303650285822008-11-28T12:27:00.003-06:002008-11-28T13:01:13.359-06:00Determining what Jesus meant by "in spirit and truth" forces us to consider the context. The conversation with this Samaritan lady has just covered one of the differences she saw between Jews and her own people. Where and by extension how they worship God. Jesus points out the two errors common to Samaritans. They did not know the God they claimed to worship and therefore were worshipping in Billhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11201671072415746321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6223283.post-50298653110266317142008-11-25T08:16:00.002-06:002008-11-25T08:39:54.806-06:00Paul gives us an over arching purpose for the church corporately in 1 Tim. 3:15, as stated: being the pillar and support of the truth. I believe it is also clear from the text what Paul has in mind when he mentions truth. He is narrowing the range down to truth about God which would include the specifics about Jesus Christ and the Gospel. Thankfully, we are not responsible for reconciling Billhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11201671072415746321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6223283.post-71676909704975002442008-11-21T13:58:00.002-06:002008-11-21T14:17:08.571-06:00Paul's instruction to Timothy is followed by the warning that some will fall away from the faith to follow other interests. He characterizes these as deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons, word images that conjure up all sorts of bizarre ideas about what Paul might have in mind. I don't believe Paul is worried about mid-night rituals involving animal sacirifices or cauldrons of mysterious Billhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11201671072415746321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6223283.post-70331401373537925432008-11-20T09:51:00.002-06:002008-11-20T10:07:59.906-06:00When Paul tells Timothy the church is the "pillar and support of the truth" he does not leave open the possibility of debate on the nature of truth. The next verse makes it clear he is referring to the truth about Jesus Christ. So, there are times when we need to ask ourselves about the value of so many ancilary activities the comtemporary church has taken on. What is our focus? Is it Billhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11201671072415746321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6223283.post-72174551375545431612008-11-18T08:41:00.002-06:002008-11-18T08:51:56.585-06:00Having been away from my blog for a while I have rather low expectations of anyone reading this first post, but it is time to start this up again. My son put a link to this blog on his with the notation of it having been a year since I had posted anything. So, twitch boy - I have the urge to write again. There is a need to revisit some very fundamental truths from God's Word. 1 Timothy 3:15 Billhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11201671072415746321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6223283.post-37890321364889034512007-11-14T14:41:00.000-06:002007-11-14T14:44:10.373-06:00Need to get back to this thing: Mean time I thought I would share some personal thoughts.I became a Christian on December 28, 1968. I even remember the time; it was a few minutes past 8:30 pm. I know that many people in the World think of Christianity as something you are because of where you were born. The reality is something different. Being a Christian is the result of what you believe Billhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11201671072415746321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6223283.post-31511340244080821042007-09-03T15:49:00.000-05:002007-09-05T20:03:52.389-05:00There are two sins that we never recognize in ourselves. It strikes me that the two commandments Jesus identifies as the greatest not only address the proper response we should have towards God, but they also hit both of our primary short comings. Those two sins are idolatry and pride. Loving God with all our heart would clear us of the idolatry issue in the same way that loving our neighbor Billhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11201671072415746321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6223283.post-58437559096499147672007-08-28T19:09:00.000-05:002007-08-28T19:23:17.522-05:00OK Justin, set the key board down and back away. I said in August and it is still August.I want to finish the thought thread we were on in April, but something else has caught my attention. I would like to take some time with that and work back to the prior line with some additional back ground.Matthew, in chapter 22 fo his biography of Christ, records a conversation and confrontation between Billhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11201671072415746321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6223283.post-28208603602126589142007-04-12T12:16:00.000-05:002007-04-12T12:40:16.578-05:00The resurrection of Jesus Christ, if true, becomes the single most important event in human history. I say this because He claimed to be God. If Jesus did return to life after having died as He said He would, then we have every reason to believe everything else He said. The great debate over the existence of God is over as is the question of what God expects of us.There were over 500 eyewitnessesBillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11201671072415746321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6223283.post-70447580518641056622007-04-05T08:18:00.000-05:002007-04-05T08:58:44.037-05:00Matthew gives us an interesting account of the Jewish leaderships reaction to the news of the resurrection on that first Easter morning. Chapter 28 vs. 11 thru 15 recounts the guard team's report back to the Chief Priests on the events at the tomb. Matthew makes it clear (v.11) the report was a complete accounting of all that happen. The response is a bribe and cover story. What I find Billhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11201671072415746321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6223283.post-80157943683209522972007-04-04T16:19:00.000-05:002007-04-04T16:38:42.682-05:00The prophecy from Daniel gives us reason to look closer at who Jesus is, but it is not the final word. Jesus did claim to be God, did claim to have the power to forgive sins and did die on a cross. But is any of that true? My guess is the number who say no is greater than the number who say yes, but is there reason to side with the yeas? I believe there is. After all there were eye witnessesBillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11201671072415746321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6223283.post-88441760508199849402007-03-24T12:42:00.000-05:002007-03-24T12:54:05.564-05:00There are more predictions about Christ's life than just His execution. That date was pinned down by Daniel, but the other part of the Magi story is that when they arrived in Israel they went to King Herod to find the new born Messiah. A logical course for pagans to assume Christ would be born of the current royal line and for the reigning monarch to be up on current events. So, when they Billhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11201671072415746321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6223283.post-92036596268848077372007-03-18T14:59:00.000-05:002007-03-18T15:16:59.873-05:00Dealing with the annual search for the "real" Jesus that springs up each Easter is getting to be fun. Every year another special is rolled out that attempts to explain away the miraculous and turn Jesus into a 1st century guru or something. One positive I take from that is at least they finally recognize He was a real person and not a myth. Stripping away the miraculous though, is very hard toBillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11201671072415746321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6223283.post-45120974366384427552007-03-17T11:43:00.000-05:002007-03-17T11:51:04.794-05:00Sabbatical is over, time to blog some more. With Easter right around the corner the annual "search for the Real Jesus" stuff is coming out. I love it, 2000 years later we have people who know more than the eye witnesses. Anyway, it is a good time to go back to the discussion on knowing truth and picking it up with the empirical adequacy of the Christian belief system. It seems to make sense toBillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11201671072415746321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6223283.post-1171149151103021842007-02-10T16:30:00.000-06:002007-02-10T17:12:31.116-06:00Zach, I believe you may have a point on when to post. There should be a rule that comments have to be cut off after 20. Of course I have not helped by not posting more often, but then I have a life beyond blogging.Because of the course of the comments I want to briefly deal with the experiential relevance of the Biblical world view. Is human caused suffering consistent with the existence of Billhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11201671072415746321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6223283.post-1170378137795674102007-02-01T18:13:00.000-06:002007-02-01T19:02:17.806-06:00If I want to examine other religious views or even my own I need to have a template to test them with. The three principles I listed in my last post is the template I believe best fits the task. So, I want to first evaluate them from a stand point of logical consistency. One does not need to have a complete understanding of logic to do this. Two of the basic laws of logic are sufficient to Billhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11201671072415746321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6223283.post-1170125023388022402007-01-29T20:04:00.000-06:002007-01-29T20:43:43.403-06:00OK, I have been giving this some thought and have arrived at this point. It is not a matter of what is believable, but rather what is true. A system of belief may not always be comfortably within the realm of believability even though it is within the bounds of possibility. If my criterion for belief is what I consider probable then I may miss something important. I need a way of Billhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11201671072415746321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6223283.post-1169058114430976452007-01-17T11:56:00.000-06:002007-01-17T12:21:55.086-06:00It is time to get back into the game; I have used my thumb as an excuse too long. Personal discovery here: it is easy to forget the wonders of an opposable thumb until you find it unavailable of use. I had a close encounter with my band saw. No permanent harm other than my ego. I have made an accounting of my personal discovery path leading to faith in Jesus Christ. So what, in a culture Billhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11201671072415746321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6223283.post-1167439126492275562006-12-29T18:31:00.000-06:002007-01-07T10:04:52.400-06:00I have waited to long to put up the fourth and last point of discovery, funny how flipping a page on your calendar can complicate life. Moving on, my last point of discovery was that Jesus Christ offered the opportunity to actually know your standing with God. It was a sort of good news bad news find, but the good out weighed the bad. The bad news I more or less already knew; that being my Billhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11201671072415746321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6223283.post-1166387776478741002006-12-17T14:19:00.000-06:002006-12-23T19:46:25.940-06:00As I said in the last post, the precise nature of the prophecies about Jesus Christ got my attention. God's existence gains creditability with such evidence. The reason for Christ's birth is what held my attention. I suspect my experience with religion was much like everyone else at some level. Some how I needed to measure up to some standard in order to please God or achieve some higher state ofBillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11201671072415746321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6223283.post-1166100918722997172006-12-14T06:49:00.000-06:002006-12-24T14:19:16.366-06:00Growing up I had heard the Christmas and Easter stories, but they never made much of a connection with me. The reason being, I treated them like stories never really trying to understand the significance. The facts I related in my last 2 posts changed that. For the first time in my life I took a serious look what the Bible had to say about Jesus Christ. That leads me to the third point. Jesus Billhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11201671072415746321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6223283.post-1165886921787562192006-12-11T19:18:00.000-06:002006-12-12T07:22:57.890-06:00The second chapter of Matthew's Gospel gives us the account of the Magi who came to Israel looking for the new born Messiah. We know them as the 3 wise men, though in truth the number is unknown. This record of their visit is important because it collaborates two predictions concerning Jesus' birth. The Magi came to Israel seeking to worship "He who is born King of the Jews." According to the Billhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11201671072415746321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6223283.post-1165842799644238072006-12-11T06:45:00.000-06:002006-12-11T07:13:19.670-06:00As I have pointed out, I had reached the conclusion that God's existence was not just a possibility, but was probable. I just did not know what to do with it until I met some Christians who were willing to talk at more than a superficial level. Precluding the question, I had spent time with other belief structures - it was the '60s after all. I came into the discussion a bit cold as I had Billhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11201671072415746321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6223283.post-1165435012945810702006-12-06T13:46:00.000-06:002006-12-06T18:30:56.316-06:00Getting back on track, allowing for the possibility of God was the first step in discovery for me. Some of this will be a repeat of earlier posts, but the mere fact of existence forced some of my thinking. As I have pointed out before, the evidence for the universe not being eternal is overwhelming. First of all, it is not rational simply because we are here in the present. The theory of Billhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11201671072415746321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6223283.post-1164940373311637692006-11-30T19:46:00.000-06:002006-11-30T20:32:54.306-06:00I need to clarify something to avoid misunderstanding. I have been walking through the process that brought me to accepting Christianity as truth. Specifically, that God took the initiative to reconcile mankind to Himself through the death of Jesus Christ in payment for our sins. Anyone following the sidebar discussions going in the comments string can see I am not big on the Naturalistic Billhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11201671072415746321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6223283.post-1164682961599715592006-11-27T19:58:00.001-06:002006-11-27T21:02:42.126-06:00A person who does not believe something is true will never see the evidence of that something's existence. Believing is the first step in discovery even if the belief is only in the possibility. The person who rules out all possibility for God's existence will likely never see Him. However, belief is not discovery. What we believe only matters if it agrees with reality. What we call faith Billhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11201671072415746321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6223283.post-1164335835855743402006-11-23T19:59:00.000-06:002006-11-23T20:37:15.903-06:00This string on evolution is going on longer than I intended, but I do feel the need to post a few more points. Religious people are often rightly accused of taking positions on God and morality without first validating the foundation from which they claim to draw authority. They have not cornered the market on this approach. Many in the naturalist camp do the same, discounting the possibility Billhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11201671072415746321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6223283.post-1164164595694132262006-11-21T19:53:00.000-06:002006-11-21T21:03:15.753-06:00I want to bring the comment string from my last post onto the main page. We like to believe that evidence speaks for itself, however that is not true. It is the philosophical platform from which we view the evidence that drives most of our conclusions. I don't have the exact quote before me, but Sir Francis Crick was the one who said (this is a paraphrase) that the appearance of design is so Billhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11201671072415746321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6223283.post-1163888581147871112006-11-18T15:57:00.000-06:002006-11-18T16:23:01.160-06:00Growing up in the US and attending public schools, my culture and education were built around an assumption of naturalism being true. As I got older I grew sketical. I saw a tendency to brush past the origin question. That seemed to me to be the priority question to answer. Dr. Sagan may have asserted the universe is all there is, all that has been and all that will be, but he knew this was Billhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11201671072415746321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6223283.post-1162955637303381432006-11-07T20:46:00.000-06:002006-11-07T21:13:57.316-06:00What was next? I don't believe I ever gave much thougth to the agnostic view. Mainly, because from my perspective it was essentially the same as practical atheism. There is not a great distance between believing there is no god and believing you cannot know god. If you cannot know him, then he might as well not be there.The poly-theistic world view was more appealing, but created problems of Billhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11201671072415746321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6223283.post-1162604519444812072006-11-03T19:17:00.000-06:002006-11-03T19:41:59.456-06:00The quest for something to believe in, something that would make sense of life was for me a hit and miss thing. A bit of history for you. I grew up the son of a career Navy man. That meant I spent the majority of my life near the ocean. That is significant only in it was the time I spent alone on the beach watching nature at work that I would contemplate the "meaning of it all."Early on, I Billhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11201671072415746321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6223283.post-1162352206081134112006-10-31T20:24:00.000-06:002006-10-31T21:36:46.763-06:00I said I have good reasons for what I believe, but it may take more than one post to explain it. You see, I am dealing with memories that stretch over 5 decades and I have a bias towards Christianity. It was 38 years ago that I settled on Christ as my best option. So, I am going to try to reconstruct the process that brought me to this point. I don't want to mislead either. I was not Billhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11201671072415746321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6223283.post-1162137461330768852006-10-29T09:56:00.000-06:002006-10-29T09:57:41.330-06:00OOPS, I see some typos in my last post. For some reason Blogger will not let me correct them. This is punishment for posting before the fair one proof read it for me.Billhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11201671072415746321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6223283.post-1162080736319919412006-10-28T18:43:00.000-05:002006-10-29T09:55:27.386-06:00The question is why should I/anyone choose to follow an objective based external moral code? Of course you can ask the same question about going with personal flexible judgements as your moral standard.What I have decided for myself is to follow the objective standard I find in the Bible, specifically what we call the New Testament. One reason is I really do find my own instincts much too Billhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11201671072415746321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6223283.post-1160745666249741252006-10-13T07:54:00.000-05:002006-10-13T08:21:06.316-05:00It appears that most contemporary thought on morality draws from the individual's perspective. Rather the preferences of the individual drive the moral engine of the mind. Therein lies the trap. In the example I gave of the 3 men on the beach, the father was troubled by his behavior with the realization he was commenting on his daughter. No issue there, each is free to set his own moral Billhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11201671072415746321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6223283.post-1160136491012888962006-10-06T06:43:00.000-05:002006-10-06T07:08:12.476-05:00Since no one commented on that last post I asked a few people who read it what they thought. Gross was a common word used. So, I guess the point was made. Your world view can lead you into some very difficult scenarios. The easy way out of this is to avoid building a consistent frame work by which you deal with life. Oh yeah, that is what I was blogging about.My own value system puts a Billhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11201671072415746321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6223283.post-1157763278916740412006-09-08T19:53:00.000-05:002006-09-09T18:37:02.150-05:00If we live in a real world, if there are cause and effect relationships which when working with known parameters render outcomes that are predictable; then why not stick with the pattern? Why try to force a relativitist view on a reality that won't accept it? Process this through a preferential truth position. 3 men are sitting on a beach watching and commenting on the young ladies around them.Billhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11201671072415746321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6223283.post-1157724783947723192006-09-08T09:07:00.000-05:002006-09-08T09:13:03.993-05:00Preferential truth, that desire to define the world in a way that best suits my needs, can seem to make life easy, but there is a catch. Sooner, not later, it runs up against someone else's preferential truth. That may not be so bad if I am bigger, tougher and smarter than everyone else. Unless they gang up on me then....Ouch!Billhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11201671072415746321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6223283.post-1157595269280333152006-09-06T21:01:00.000-05:002006-09-06T21:14:29.500-05:00What do you say about someone laying out by the pool acting as if they are sunbathing when its raining? "Hey man, if it works for you go for it." The issue is that it does not work for me. I am still getting rained on. If personalize truth does not work in this example how do I know if it ever works? You might try to limit relativitism to moral issues, but the same applies. I can not know Billhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11201671072415746321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6223283.post-1157457720579329162006-09-05T06:50:00.000-05:002006-09-05T07:02:00.603-05:00Truth is what I say it is! Really, there are no absolutes and reality bends to my every whim. It looks like it is raining outside, but I don't believe it. I say it is sunny out there; therefore, it is not raining and I am going to go catch some rays. This is great, I should have switched to a post-modernist view of the world a long time ago. Sounds pretty silly doesn't it. Then why is that Billhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11201671072415746321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6223283.post-1156768376860877842006-08-28T07:19:00.000-05:002006-08-28T19:45:02.796-05:00It has been a while since I last posted. It has been a very busy summer. Anyway, I did ask a question last time and may need to explain it. When I asked how important it is to be known by God, I was thinking in terms beyond awareness. I know of a lot of people and some of them know of me. I am known by very few of those.Those few are called friends. The smallest sub-set of friends is one person. Billhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11201671072415746321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6223283.post-1153187351324639822006-07-17T20:41:00.000-05:002006-07-17T21:03:59.023-05:00OK, here is the question. How important is it to be known by God?Those of us with an understanding of Biblical teaching assume the answer is straight forward. What of those who don't accept the Bible and have a picture of God in their mind of a distant, non-personal deity? One who watches from a distance and does not really get involved in His creation could possibly be OK with being ignored. Billhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11201671072415746321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6223283.post-1153138471351905702006-07-17T07:13:00.000-05:002006-07-17T20:49:59.446-05:00Guessing about God; that is what a lot of us do. It may be we want a comfortable image to work with though I suspect most of us just project a bigger version of our selves for the identity of the Supreme Being. That is sad. Sad because it is ultimately self centered and self defeating.I suppose the rational approach would be to look for evidence that God has revealed Himself. Funny thing, I Billhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11201671072415746321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6223283.post-1152880716378877432006-07-14T07:35:00.000-05:002006-07-14T07:38:36.406-05:00Reflecting on yesterday's post, identity is something we consider important. We want to be noticed or at least stand out enough as to not be lost in the crowd. I believe we all want to be viewed as worth knowing. We generally want to be accepted on our own terms.That last bit has a darker side as well. For some identity is a great excuse to never grow up. I know you have heard the classic line; "Billhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11201671072415746321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6223283.post-1152792679402434082006-07-13T06:47:00.000-05:002006-07-13T07:11:19.413-05:00A while back I responded to a comment on a colleague's blog that became one of those back and forth exchanges that failed to go anywhere. Nothing new there, but one statement made by the other person came back to me several weeks later. The expressed concern was that I had failed to recognize the other persons identity and accomplishments. As I said, this came back to me a couple of weeks ago Billhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11201671072415746321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6223283.post-1152749846968116432006-07-12T19:14:00.000-05:002006-07-12T19:17:26.980-05:00WOW! I go away for 6 months and people start saying blog again like you did last summer. Actually last winter, but summer sounds better.I believe I will give it another go. It just that this takes so much time and I have little of it to waste. Anyway, I will aim for something tomorrow or Friday.Billhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11201671072415746321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6223283.post-1135518724218275092005-12-25T07:51:00.000-06:002005-12-25T07:52:04.226-06:00And the Light shines into the darkness and the darkness is unable to comprehend.So, the Word, which is the Light of mankind, became human and lived among us.And God was pleased that all His fullness was shown through Him, the Word.Who is the Word which is the Light and Life of all mankind?He is Jesus Christ. He is the one whose birth we remember today.He is the one who gave me Life not of my own Billhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11201671072415746321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6223283.post-1120504364311571762005-07-04T14:07:00.000-05:002005-07-04T14:21:20.090-05:00I recently listened to an interview of former Episcopalian Bishop John Shelby Spong by Dennis Prager. Spong's most recent book, The Sins of Scripture: Exposing the Bible's Texts of Hate to Reveal the God of Love was the subject covered. You listen for yourself here http://www.woodward.russellhost.com/audio/prager_spong.mp3There are many errors in Spong's rationale about the Bible, but what is Billhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11201671072415746321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6223283.post-1120420525382850332005-07-03T14:48:00.000-05:002005-07-04T14:03:47.756-05:00The Bible talks of human wisdom being founded on a clear understanding of who we are in relation to God. Specifically, "the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom." Psalms 111:10.Why is that the starting point? Two reasons that come to mind with little effort are these.1. If you miss something that obvious, then you are likely to get lost in your own arrogance.2. Building from the first, Billhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11201671072415746321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6223283.post-1117798391415150662005-06-03T06:31:00.000-05:002005-06-03T06:33:11.420-05:00I was told last night to start blogging again. So, I guess I am back. Yahoo I will therefore begin a fresh.Stay tuned for more ugh-lee thoughtsBillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11201671072415746321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6223283.post-1101169936733105442004-11-22T18:10:00.000-06:002004-11-28T13:10:06.060-06:00The church was given us by God and was intended for all people in all cultures. He (God) kept the model simple so that it would fit any setting. The church is an assembly of believers in a given area united in worship of God and support of each other. Organization is likewise simple. A cadre of servant leaders drawn from the assembly who demonstrate spiritual maturity, as spelled out in scriptureBillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11201671072415746321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6223283.post-1100892956322325332004-11-19T13:01:00.000-06:002004-11-19T13:39:53.336-06:00Man, so many people out here seem to be down on anyone different. I don't like the attitude of the person in the fancy car next to me! How do you know what they are thinking? Suburban mind sets are inferior to urban. By what standard? The established church is missing the point and being out classed by technology. Did you get that from God? Bildad and Zophar have spoken and here comes Elihu with Billhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11201671072415746321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6223283.post-1100133783736130762004-11-10T18:42:00.000-06:002004-11-11T06:35:42.263-06:00Two of the longest epistles in the New Testament were written to a group of believers who believed they had moved beyond the mainstream church. They in their wisdom had achieved such a high point in their spiritual formation that conventions of the established church no longer applied. Indeed they had entered a spiritual kingdom age having become rich and reigning kings ahead of even the ApostlesBillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11201671072415746321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6223283.post-1099954746913758882004-11-08T16:50:00.000-06:002004-11-09T20:38:37.873-06:00If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. Let us not become boastful, challenging one another, envying one another. Galatians 5:25,26
Every generation seems to have the need to go through some push back on the conventions of the prior one. Sometimes it is a violent rebellion while at others it is a subtle more harmless challenge to fashion or style. Christians are not immune to Billhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11201671072415746321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6223283.post-1099604661194028132004-11-04T15:01:00.000-06:002004-11-04T15:44:21.193-06:00Since I broke my rule on politics, I guess I can break my rule on personal matters as well.
Just two days from now I will have the privilege of officiating at my eldest son's wedding. He will cross the line from my family into his own. The scripture notes this as a cutting away or leaving the one to form the other. This is about the only real ceremony we have left in western society to mark the Billhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11201671072415746321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6223283.post-1099525267885288352004-11-03T17:18:00.000-06:002004-11-03T17:41:07.886-06:00Conspiracies, the realm of black helicoters and tin foil hats, are strangly attractive things. Amazingly, the more bizzare the better. The reality is that conspiracies seldom hold together. There is something in human nature that hates a secret. The truth always comes out. If you are one who believes otherwise, try telling your most scandalous secret to 5 of your most trusted friends and Billhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11201671072415746321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6223283.post-1099449908562132432004-11-02T20:33:00.000-06:002004-11-02T20:45:08.563-06:00A good insight into how strongly our opinions and presuppositions shape our beliefs can be found in the conspiracy launched by the priesthood/Sadducees to cover up the resurrection of Jesus Christ. To see this you need to look at Matthew chapter 28 verses 11-15 and Acts 4:1-22. It is not too much to read so take a look.
The key points are that when Matthew wrote his recollection of Jesus' life Billhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11201671072415746321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6223283.post-1099357335878359472004-11-01T18:47:00.000-06:002004-11-01T19:02:15.876-06:00Some of the things I have noticed lately is the way we react to the political news and ads this election season presents us with. Objectivity does not seem to play a very big role in the response. I find that I am more likely to reject out of hand negative comments about the people I support than ones directed at the other side. I am not alone. People seem to decide what they want to believe Billhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11201671072415746321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6223283.post-1099314260347809022004-11-01T06:57:00.000-06:002004-11-01T07:04:20.346-06:00OK, I have decided to start this thing up again and blog away. Mostly because of some of the things I have been reading on other's blogs. I feel the need to react. So, if anyone out there still checks in from time to time, I'm back.
One of the things I don't like about blogging is the focus on self. Take my statement above, sounds a bit arrogant does it not. There are much more important Billhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11201671072415746321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6223283.post-1079707408730862172004-03-19T08:34:00.000-06:002004-03-19T08:46:49.060-06:00Wow, it has been a long time between postings. No excuses, but I was loaded down at work as well as debating what I wanted to post next. It has never been my intent to engage in debate so much as make personal observations about our culture and my relationship with God through Jesus Christ. This post will be an exception. The reconciliation of GodÂs sovereignty and our free will necessitatesBillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11201671072415746321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6223283.post-1078883025677047202004-03-09T19:38:00.000-06:002004-03-09T19:46:52.966-06:00That God is good is evidenced both in His granting us the freedom to act independently and in providing a predictable environment in which to do so. Those who want to complain about the evil that resulted neither understand the nature of free will, nor the natural restraints absolutes have on the bad that free will risks. We look at the world from an egocentric point of view desiring the Billhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11201671072415746321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6223283.post-1078509980910389792004-03-05T12:05:00.000-06:002004-03-05T12:12:49.403-06:00Having established, albeit briefly, the presence of verifiable absolutes in the observable universe; can we infer the same for the non-observable realms of existence? Granted, the materialistic naturalist denies any meta-physical components of reality, but denial is a philosophical position, not proof. Absolutes suggest design which in turn leads us to a designer. The designer by definition Billhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11201671072415746321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6223283.post-1077625405429792312004-02-24T06:20:00.000-06:002004-02-24T09:14:10.060-06:00Is God Safe? That question was answered by C.S. Lewis years ago. No, God is not safe, but He is good. God must be more than a bigger version of ourselves. After all He not only has the power to create, He also contains within His mind the information needed to form the universe. Consider the various aspects of how the universe works; the complexities of even the simplest systems and you get Billhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11201671072415746321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6223283.post-1077274904481325002004-02-20T04:54:00.000-06:002004-02-20T05:04:26.780-06:00Embracing the position that absolutes do exist is not enough if one is seeking to build a rational based world view. That is the first step, but then the task of identification must be dealt with. What absolutes truly are? I suspect the reason behind the shift to existentialistic world views was driven more by discomfort with what might be true than anything else. What if God exists? Can I Billhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11201671072415746321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6223283.post-1076933548317518472004-02-16T06:06:00.000-06:002004-02-16T06:16:45.280-06:00The modern non-rational way of looking at the world was born out of the realization that without the anchor of absolutes, reason alone could not give meaning to life. Rather than abandoning relativism, philosophers held to their presuppositions, but continued to seek meaning. Thus we were led to existentialism and the variations that later came from it. The real issue is the foundational Billhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11201671072415746321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6223283.post-1076682945078667292004-02-13T08:35:00.000-06:002004-02-13T12:29:58.153-06:00I started this blog with a discussion point about the tendency to view old things as inferior to new things and how it impacts our actions. There is, for many, a strong attraction to be out in front, cutting edge; to be in our own minds - different. Truthfully, almost no one ever is. Original thought is extremely rare and rarely embraced. We are for the most part, behind the times running to Billhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11201671072415746321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6223283.post-1076176566744824172004-02-07T11:55:00.000-06:002004-02-07T11:58:30.733-06:00A Lutheran pastor, the Rev. Steven Robertson resigned as pastor of his church after pledging his allegiance to Vulcanus Rex, god of fire. He did this as part of St. Paul’s Winter Carnival last year. Now he claims the fellow members of his Krewe are more Christ like than his former parishioners.
(Report taken from Taste Page of the Opinion Journal)
Makes you wonder what he believes Jesus Billhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11201671072415746321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6223283.post-1076071338482866412004-02-06T06:41:00.000-06:002004-02-06T06:44:40.966-06:00“If you must make a choice between heresy and schism, always choose heresy.” Quote taken from Episcopal Bishop Peter James Lee‘s comments at the annual meeting of his diocese as reported by Chuck Colson.
Bishop Lee was defending his position on the appointment of a practicing homosexual as a Bishop in the Episcopal Church. The philosophical underpinning for his decision in that matter is, to Billhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11201671072415746321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6223283.post-1075469161070165202004-01-30T07:23:00.000-06:002004-01-30T07:38:15.013-06:00I raised the questions on my last post because I believe they are germane to the topic I have been following. Oh, and I used the word servant in my last posting without giving it a proper introduction. Let me deal with that first and then come back to old vs. new world views.
The context of Philippians 2:3 is an admonishment to live with the same mental attitude of Jesus Christ. (Note verseBillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11201671072415746321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6223283.post-1075325435974887722004-01-28T15:28:00.000-06:002004-01-28T15:32:46.920-06:00Speaking of elevating things, I recently asked a group of people about the meaning of Philippians 2:3 as it relates to interactions within a given circle of friends. If you are not familiar with the passage it reads as follows:
Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. (Philip. 2:3 NIV)
The NASB translates "better" as “more Billhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11201671072415746321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6223283.post-1074998539050018282004-01-24T20:41:00.000-06:002004-01-24T20:44:24.513-06:00Since there is a tension between what is old and the new, each one of us must decide how we are going to deal with it. Paul tells us to not regard ourselves as more important that others (Philippians 2:3b), but does that apply in matters of worship styles and personal conduct? Paul seems to think it is a blanket statement since he uses Christ’s incarnation as his example. You can’t get a Billhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11201671072415746321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6223283.post-1074724161814529582004-01-21T16:27:00.000-06:002004-01-21T16:31:23.090-06:00Questions of methodology and receptiveness of the established (or emergent) church are reasonable to pose, in fact should be raised often. We should always be willing to examine ourselves critically and be willing to act on what we learn. Actually, I (myself) am not too concerned with methods as these are usually cultural templates through which we layout the expression of our faith. They Billhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11201671072415746321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6223283.post-1074563141274549082004-01-19T19:42:00.000-06:002004-01-19T19:47:39.780-06:00If Jesus was willing to work within the structures of Judaism during the 1st century it would seem that we could do the same today. The student is not greater than the teacher, so why not bow to the teacher’s wisdom? There is value in the associations of the whole assembly.
35 years ago, the movement was called home church or some variation on that title. Breaking away from established (Billhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11201671072415746321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6223283.post-1074363209162116982004-01-17T12:10:00.000-06:002004-01-17T16:31:16.966-06:00The Absolutists are not without their own internal detractors. The fact is some are mean spirited and narrow minded, but they are so in variance to the teachings of Christ. We who claim to be followers of Christ should be careful to actually do so. Jesus Christ is truth personified yet He is always patient and loving in His dealings with people. I must be clear on this point. During His timeBillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11201671072415746321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6223283.post-1074082675092473292004-01-14T06:17:00.000-06:002004-01-14T06:21:04.170-06:00The divide separating those I have called absolutists from those who hold to relative truth is their world view. It is not science, logic, education or intelligence, rather these are tools used to structure the belief system. The world view is the foundation to which these tools are applied and it is the foundation that will determine the quality of what is built.
Most of our western cultureBillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11201671072415746321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6223283.post-1074035760768592162004-01-13T17:15:00.000-06:002004-01-13T17:19:54.013-06:00OK, having mentioned absolutes I need to address the shibboleths of the relativity proponents. Most of the criticisms are straw men. Personally, I believe the real resistance to truth (I am using the term as a synonym for absolutes) is derived from a desire to escape accountability. C.S. Lewis pointed out that for him the attraction of atheism was that death ended all. What frightened him Billhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11201671072415746321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6223283.post-1073876612242174442004-01-11T21:01:00.000-06:002004-01-12T16:26:38.023-06:00The direction I want to go with this line of thought is this:
Christianity is consistent with reality and is therefore rational. It is based on true knowledge (absolutes) that is relevant to all of time and all cultures. While many will contend there are few, if any, absolutes, observation of the real world clearly shows there are enough consistencies in cause and effect relationships to Billhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11201671072415746321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6223283.post-1073523409495166702004-01-07T18:56:00.000-06:002004-01-07T18:59:20.750-06:00Another strong influence in the old vs. new tension has to be acknowledged. I hate using the word, in fact have spent some time trying to think of a way to avoid it, but here it is, post-modernism. The new world view built on ideology and not on observation. If you are not sure what that means I’ll explain. It is irrational rather than rational. Factual evidence that might contradict this Billhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11201671072415746321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6223283.post-1073390675377975672004-01-06T06:04:00.000-06:002004-01-06T06:06:28.403-06:00Consider the difficulties in contemplating the infinite. The physicist seeks a unified theory for the universe even though she/he knows they are not capable of grasping the whole. We will probably only be able to nibble at portions of such an equation. So why would one expect to be able to grasp the knowledge of God (the creator of this universe we struggle to know) with less effort.
The Billhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11201671072415746321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6223283.post-1073355601611888532004-01-05T20:18:00.000-06:002004-01-05T20:31:02.890-06:00Congratulations NASA on putting another Lander on Mars, this time without slide rules! A very good blend of new and old ideas, air bags coupled with parachutes and rockets will get your Lander down. I want to say Yahoo, but worry about copyright laws. Oh, and how about those retro 1950’s 3-D pictures?
Oh well, back to other matters. As difficult as it is to put a Lander on Mars, it pales in Billhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11201671072415746321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6223283.post-1073181457642620642004-01-03T19:39:00.000-06:002004-01-03T19:57:55.770-06:00As part of my first posting, I want to welcome any who care to visit. I will try and not waste your time.
One thing that strikes me as odd is the proclivity of many in our 21st century U.S. culture to view anything that is old as something to be discarded. New is always better, that is the order of the day. (Not being all that young anymore I find that worrisome.) While it may prove to be Billhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11201671072415746321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6223283.post-1071776425565393532003-12-18T13:39:00.000-06:002003-12-18T13:40:39.706-06:00Welcome to Ugh-Lee Thoughts. This is a test post.Billhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11201671072415746321noreply@blogger.com0