Merry Christmas! (And Happy Birthday Jesus)

Some people love this time of year. Some love the time just after it's all over (but before they have to go back to work of course.) Some (like me) love summer, just because it's...summer :) I mean, why couldn't tradition have chosen June 25, when it's warm?

I've often thought that a "perspective" book, or T.V. special would be illuminating. What are the various perspectives on this time of the year. There's the Christian perspective, of course. This is our time of year. But there is also the Jewish, Muslim, and Hindu view. (Search youtube.com for "Merry Christmas Southpark" for example) They all, along with the Atheist, see this from an external perspective. Yet if my informal surveys over the years are valid, a lot of them like this time of the year for a variety of reasons. Business is good. People are (ahem, sometime) more cheerful, and hey, kids love ole' saint Nick.

But there is also the perspective of the lonely and the alone. If Christmas is about family and giving, those who are alone and have nothing to give can feel like this is not at all the most wonderful time of the year.

Then there is the perspective of the soldiers stuck in Iraq and other places around the world. A Soldiers Christmas is to be away from family and loved-ones struggling to understand why "we" are still in Iraq.

Wherever you are this year, and from whatever your perspective: Merry Christmas to you. I sincerely hope that this year has been good and the next better. But more than anything, I hope that you are able to brush aside the trees, the traffic, the gifts and yes maybe even the guilt and see through it all to the real point. Jesus Christ, born in mystery, who lived a truly amazing life, was killed and then reported to have been resurrected. Jesus is the reason. Forget our theologies. Forget our politics. Forget our pathetic history and total inability to kindly represent him. Forget us this season and instead understand who He was, and is. Set out on a journey that begins this season - a journey to understand the man who is God, Jesus Christ.

New Chaplain for Southern Adventist University

This post will only be meaningful to Adventists, but is about exciting news. I'm not sure if it is officially public yet so I'm going to speak with a bit of vagueness. Libby was just speaking with a friend who's going to be the new Southern chaplain, replacing the irreplaceable Ken Rogers. This is truly a case of the Incomparable following the Unsurpassed.

This new chaplain has a wonderfully cheerful and enthusiastic personality, is both intelligent and creative, plays the fiddle and loves Jesus very much.

Oh, and even though he's a friend he's not in any way theologically aligned with my theological protests of Adventism. Yet he has a wonderful understanding of grace and of the cross.

Congratulations! I'm thrilled: Southern is lucky and Gordon Bietz and company have made a great choice.

Experimental Wiki

Update: Wiki is currently unavailable.

In this day in history: December 16

Yes, the infamous and no doubt exhilarating Boston Tea Party. That's right, boys and girls. You think the buzz you get from the caffeine is something, just wait till you see how it feels to defy Britain and toss all that tea into the harbor. The after-party was interesting too.

Also on this day, the The Porajmos. "On December 16, 1942, Himmler ordered that the Roma candidates for extermination should be deported to Auschwitz-Birkenau." Of course, there are those who would like to deny the Holocaust or revise (viewer discretion advised, and see opposing.) our understanding of it. This, of course, all while presently Iran is hosting a "conference" on the Holocaust.

Oh, and also on this day UN General Assembly resolution 4686 revoked Resolution 3379, which essentially called "Zionism" racism. In fact the UN had consistently referenced Zionism as racism along with discussions of the racism in South Africa.

And on a lighter note

I stumbled onto Eskiv, a web-based game. Now, I can't be held liable for lost wages, broken marriages, and starving livestock due to gamer addiction. But the game is interesting. In the age where millions, even billions are spent by game companies to create slick, sophisticated games this one was probably written by a college student while watching reruns of Star Trek. It is reminiscent of classics like pong. See if you can beat my all-time score of 135 (after a frustrating hour, and at first being beaten by my son and his friends - but Dad rose to the challenge).

Now, what does this all have to do with a blog mainly focused on theology and spiritual matters? Just this: At first you'll score somewhere around 35. Then you'll get the hang of it and do 50-65 pretty easily. As you get your timing and concentration down you'll start hitting 90. Once you get really addicted, er, good at it you'll get over 100 and might top my score of 135. But there will be a point where you will fail. It's inescapable.

This is like attempting to keep the letter of the Law. You'll start out pretty bumpy, but as you get into the swing of it you'll starting "doing better". After a few years of struggling and modifying your environment and behavior, you'll start to at least appear to be "better". But the more you understand about the full depth of that law and what it truly means, the harder and harder it becomes to do all the various aspects of the law to the full spiritual extent of it in God's eyes. Eventually you will fail. True, you can ask for forgiveness, and start again, but eventually you will fail again, and again, and again. (Play the game a couple of times for living illustration.)

The New Covenant is based on better sacrifices and on better promises. We have died to the law and live for Jesus. We stop trying and allow the third member of the God-head, to come into our lives and He starts dodging the flying balls and controlling our path. We fail; He does not. Our "Sabbath Rest" is to rest in Christ. "Come unto me all you who labor and are heavy-laden, and I will get you rest." Stop struggling. "Be still (stop trying) and know that I am God".

Born to be Free

Living Hope Ministries, primiarily focused on exposing the errors of Mormonism and reaching out to those with questions, produced a video on the remarkable transformation of the Worldwide Church of God from genuine cult status into grace.

The Google video of it (dialup format) and the link to the video on their site.

I showed the video to Libby (my wife) last night and it brought her to tears. If you are currently an Adventist or in some other church that has strong legalistic tendencies, please watch that video. If you have a friend or family member who is, buy it and send it to them. Ask yourself this question: Do I see anything familiar in the testimonies of those who came out of cultism and into the truth of Christ?

No, Adventists do not have many of the strange beliefs that Armstrong taught. But yes, we used to (and some still do) take the extreme positions against the Trinity, and yes SDA's took and take the same extreme positions about the Sabbath, Law of God and about being God's only true church.

I remember when this all happened. I was pastoring at the time and had a number of members remark to me that "it was happening" just like EGW predicted. What was happening, I asked? "Widespread apostasy from the Sabbath." Yet these Adventists had no idea what the WWCG taught and believed, and just how legalistic they were.

Note this comment (Update: looks like you need to log in to access it. SDA's hate free-speech :) by "sdazeal" on RevivalSermons.org - the whole denomination apostasized? And see this write-up by ultra-conservative "sdadefend". They bemoan the "apastasy", yet fully admit that Armstrong introduced heresy - but won't consider that "Sabbath keeping" is a part of that heresy. Wow! Watch this video.

Nice to hear an older Adventist say this

He and I probably could find points to disagree on if we were to try. But I sure like what this 85 year old Adventist said in this interview (alas, no longer available), especially the last question.

There are two radical statements that you'd not expect to hear from an older SDA in Michigan.

1. "Probably this earth was here before the creation week made by God at some time" (I agree btw, no flames please )
2. "Salvation is a gift. It cannot be earned through good works on our part. It is received by grace, through faith in Jesus Christ our savior"

Bravo to you Robert Borrowdale, age 85.