Morality (What I'm Reading)

I've recently been sifting through the pages of a rather interesting book on politics (thanks to one of my roommates who will go unnamed). Although it is a politically oriented book, its very interesting to someone like me who isn't the most politically oriented person. I typically spend most of my reading time reading Christian books (go figure), "Legislating Morality" by Norman Geisler and Frank Turek has been a welcomed change of pace. The authors argue that morality has to be legislated. In fact, it would be irrational or impossible to not legislate morality, even though there is a preconceived notion in this country that you can't legislate morality (later chapters deal with whose morality should be legislated).

The United States was founded on the principles of the Moral Law. You may think that this is a Christian thing, but its more of a human, commons sense sort of law. Let me explain with some quotes thoughts from the book.

"Do you remember how you felt the last time you were wronged--the last time someone took advantage of you and, for their own selfish gain, profited at your expense? Certainly that feeling of being treated unfairly came to you immediately. You knew intuitively that the other person was wrong, and any impartial observer--even a child-- would have agreed with you. You had an undeniable right to be upset, seek justice, and demand restitution from the guilty party".

The Founding Fathers understood this. People have no trouble distinguishing what is fair and what is unfair. A sense of injustice comes to us all quite naturally, particularly after someone wrongs us. In fact, you'll find this in the Declaration of Independence. "We hold these truths to be self-evident..." This same injustice came naturally to the Founding Fathers (I'm from Chile, but I have to admit these guys were pretty good). Let me finish that quote.

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed."

Anyways, this book is filled with all sorts of thoughts, history, and some jokes (for the politically savvy). I'll try and post some exerts from it and let me know what you think. Some great evangelism tools are present in the book although it is not a book on evangelism. I'll end with two quotes.

"...while the First Amendment clearly forbids the federal government from establishing a national religion, it does not prohibit the government from establishing a national morality. In fact, the First Amendment itself is a law that helps establish a national morality: it clearly implies that it is wrong for Congress to establish a religion or to prohibit the free exercise of religion; it also implies that any congressional attempt to abridge freedom of speech, the press, or assembly is morally wrong. The Founding Fathers obviously were convinced that it wold be for Congress to restrict these freedoms. In other words they believed these freedoms were morally right and needed to be protected through legislation."

and

"...we legislated and thus imposed one set of values on everyone in society, in order to protect the "unalienable Rights" of one segment of society. According to the Declaration of Independence, that is exactly what government is designed to do: "That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men" "... "The issues gripping our country today--rights of the unborn, women's rights, gay rights, minority rights, religious rights--have people on all sides trying to legislate their particular morality."

I Am Not an Engineer

I am not an engineering student. Yet, I go to Drexel University. In fact, I am not studying a technical field at all, but am a lowly communication major. How in the world did I end up at a school known for its engineering and co-op program?

I could cite many earthly reasons as to why I ended up at Drexel. I could easily say I came because Drexel sent me mailings relentlessly from the time I took the PSATs my sophomore year of high school onward. I could say I came because my visit to Syracuse was rushed (and cold). I could say I came because of the school’s co-op program. I could even say I came simply because I like cities. You get the point.

Ultimately, however, God brought me to Drexel. God providentially brought me into a wonderful Christian community where I could grow, fellowship and mature in the faith.

Psalm 137:16 says, “In your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there were none of them.”

For a little while during my first year of college, I had doubts and wondered if I had made the wrong choice in going to Drexel. Now, however, I am forever grateful to God that He brought me to this campus and plugged me in at a wonderful church, so that I could become conformed more into the image of my Savior!

“Am I Thriving?"

Personally, I have a hard time applying sermons from church – simply because I don’t reflect on them after that morning. I can just listen, be convicted, and move on without change. Indeed, this is not the way it ought to be.

This past Sunday, Dave Harvey, our Sr. Pastor at Covenant Fellowship Church in Glen Mills, PA, gave a message on Philippians 3:1-16, explaining what it means to "thrive" as a single. His main point was this: Thriving is the fruit of a singular pursuit - that we know Christ.

He supported this by offering three points.

1) I know I am thriving when my confidence is less in me and more in Jesus Christ.

2) I know I am thriving when my focus is less on where I’ve come from and more on where I am going.

3) I know I am thriving when I resist standing still and resolve to always move forward.

In an attempt to apply the message, I printed out the passage, got a read pen, and tried to figure out what the passage was saying (Dave Harvey obviously brought much clarity to this).

My thoughts when reading and meditating on Philippians 3: 7-11

7 But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. 8 Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— 10 that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11 that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.

The question that I have for myself is, do I long for Christ like Paul does? Do I want to gain Christ (vs.8)? Do I want to be found in him (vs.9)? Do I want to know him and the power of his resurrection (vs.10)? Do I want to become like him in his death (vs.10)? Do I want to attain the resurrection from the dead (vs.11)?

My immediate answer is an emphatic, “YES!”

However, am I (are we) willing to do whatever it takes to get there; to gain Christ?

Am I willing to count whatever gain I have (I have no gain) as loss? Indeed, am I willing to count everything as loss? Am I willing to suffer the loss of all things? Count them as rubbish? Have all my faith in Christ? Am I willing to share his sufferings?

When you interpret this passage looking through the eyes of what Paul did “in order that...” you realize that striving for Christ is not easy. Thanks be to God that there is grace available to gain Christ! "6And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ (Philippians 1:6).

Why did Paul do all this? For the sake of Christ (vs.7), because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ (vs.8), and for his sake (vs.8)! Indeed, the Christian life is worth “press[ing] on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:14).

For more application listen to John Piper’s “Don’t Waste Your Life” sermon, since he expounds Philippians 3 in his message.

What did you guys take away from the sermon/Philippians?

Click here in case you're interested in downloading the sermon. Covenant Fellowship Church also offers application questions following each message, which can be downloaded here.

Will I Ever Settle Catan?

So, there is this game played quite often at 3500 known as “The Settlers of Catan”. I’ve never played it. Ok, I lied. I have sort of played it, but I quit while we were still in the setup portion of the game.

Either way, I haven’t ever really played it. In fact, the last time I remember even touching the boxes was when I took pictures of them for this blog. My friends constantly tell me how much fun the game is. Will I ever succumb to their pressure? Who knows, but for now, I’ll just take their word for it, and enjoy more sanctifying games like Solitaire and Connect Four.

Resolving to Resolve

New Years seems like the distant past and I'm wondering how many people who made a New Year's resolution have actually kept them. For the record I am against New Year's resolutions. It's not because I think that resolutions are bad, in fact I think that we all should learn to make resolutions based on convictions and keep them. I just think that resolving to do something because it's a new year is a bad idea. If something in your life needs to change, man up, resolve to change it, and actually follow through. Here is the first of Jonathan Edwards resolutions:

1. Resolved, that I will do whatsoever I think to be most to God's glory, and my own good, profit and pleasure, in the whole of my duration, without any consideration of the time, whether now, or never so many myriads of ages hence. Resolved to do whatever I think to be my duty and most for the good and advantage of mankind in general. Resolved to do this, whatever difficulties I meet with, how many soever, and how great soever.

What I'm saying is that we should follow the example of Jonathan Edwards and resolve to make changes in our life based on Biblical convictions and keep them because it's ultimately for the glory of Christ. Lest we become like the man described in Proverbs 25:28, "A man without self-control is like a city broken into and left without walls."

Rick

Dusting Off Your Bible

I am currently going through Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life by Donald Whitney with a group of upperclassmen at Drexel. His first chapter focuses on the importance of Bible intake.

Of course we must take in the Word of God! Isn't that obvious? Yet while many Christians, he says, agree that getting fed with Scripture is important, they still know "...little more about the Bible than Third-World Christians who possess not even a shred of Scripture." (pg. 28)

No Spiritual Discipline is more important than the intake of God's Word. Nothing can substitute for it. There simply is no healthy Christian life apart from a diet of the milk and meat of Scripture. The reasons for this are obvious. In the Bible God tells us about Himself, and especially about Jesus Christ, the incarnation of God. The Bible unfolds the Law of God to us and shows us how we've all broken it. There we learn how Christ died as a sinless, willing Substitute for breakers of God's Law and how we must repent and believe in Him to be right with God. In the Bible we learn the ways and will of the Lord. We find in Scripture how to live in a way that is pleasing to God as well as best and most fulfilling for ourselves. Non of this eternally essential information can be found anywhere else except the Bible. Therefore if we would know God and be Godly, we must know the Word of God--intimately. (pg. 28)

More importantly, as my friend leading the study mentioned, the Bible explains why it needs to be read. Paul says in 2 Timothy, "All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work" (3:16-17)

In Him,
Jason

Table Talk: What is It?

So, that odd conversation you saw below...that's what we're going to call "Table Talk". But why such a name as that?

"Table Talk" is more famously known as a compilation of the notes the students and colleagues of Martin Luther wrote as he spoke. For us, it is more of a chronicle of conversations that may happen around our kitchen table. While many will be "inside jokes" few will understand, perhaps one may find a few entertaining, or maybe even (somewhat) insightful.

Table Talk: Part 1

Rick Healey: Willy, grow a beard!

Will Mulgrew: I will never grow a beard!

RH: What if your wife wanted you to grow a beard?

WM: Well..um.. in that I case I guess I would.

RH: You're right, Willy, you'll never grow a beard!

"God Be Merciful Unto Us"

Lead us, heavenly Father, lead us
O'er the world's tempestuous sea;
Guard us, guide us, keep us, feed us,
For we have no help but thee;
Yet possessing every blessing,
If our God our Father be.

Saviour, breathe forgiveness o'er us,
All our weakness Thou dost know,
Thou didst tread this earth before us
Thou didst feel its keenest woe;
Lone and dreary, faint and weary,
Through the desert Thou didst go.

Spirit of our God, descending,
Fill our hearts with heavenly joy,
Love with every passion blending,
Pleasure that can never cloy:
Thus provided, pardon'd, guided,
Nothing can our peace destroy.

James Edmeston, 1820

So, This is Daily Minutiae

So, this may (or may not) be the best way to begin this blog, but it certainly fits what goes sometimes at 3500 Hamilton Street. Many people have considered life at 3500 to me much like a Disney movie , so this certainly seems appropriate.

However, the purpose of this blog is for more than just vapid entertainment, but will also (hopefully) edify ourselves and others (as well as improve our writing skills). We hope you enjoy!