Author: fundyreformed

My Christmas Rhyme

~ fundyreformed ~ 4 Comments

This is day 2 of Bible Geek Gone Wild’s 12 Days of Christmas promotion. I’ve already won one free book, and am trying for some more.

I’d encourage everyone to stay tuned to Shaun’s blog these next 11 days, because I hear the prizes to be had (mostly lots of free books compliments of many fine Christian book publishers) are many and worthwhile.

Shaun has been keeping us all on our toes, as entering the contests aren’t as simple as leaving a comment. Yesterday we had to share a Christmas memory. Today you have to answer a brief Bible trivia quiz, or come up with a short (2-6 lines) Christmas poem (or rhyme, or jingle). You can do both today since there are two contests. I’m wondering, are there three contests tomorrow??

Well, I’d be fine with no one else entering these contests as I’d love to hog all the free books for myself. But it IS Christmas after all! So join in the fun and try your hand at a Christmas jingle today, or if you don’t see this post until Monday, I’m sure there will be some challenging means of entering a contest that you can have fun with then….

So here’s my Christmas rhyme entry. If you have a short one of your own, share it in the comments here after you get done submitting it for the contest.

All the joys of Christmas time–
Decorations and the pine,
Friends and loved ones gathering,
Gifts and cheer and caroling–
May these not avert our gaze.
Ponder Christ the babe, and praise!

A Special Christmas Memory

~ fundyreformed ~ 1 Comment

This morning, I entered the first of 12 contests at Bible Geek Gone Wild. Shaun Tabatt is running a 12 Days of Christmas promotion there as an excuse to give away lots of free books.

Today’s contest asked the entrants to share a favorite Christmas memory. I’m usually not good with memories, but the one I have was a blessing to me in the remembering And I thought it’d be a great memory to blog about as well. So here goes…

It’s hard to pick a favorite memory. But one stands out from my childhood days.

My sister was either 2 or 3, and for me it was still a new thing to have a cute little sister (I was 6 years older than she). I believe Mom had her dressed up in a little red nightgown with a night cap on. The special gift for her was to be a Cabbage Patch doll. Rather than wrapping it up, Mom had it just sitting under the tree.

When I saw the gift, I was overcome with excitement for how little Katie would respond. Sure enough, she got up and rushed out to the tree and her eyes lit up with wonder and she grabbed her doll, treasuring it as only a little toddler can.

I think that Christmas was when I first learned that Christmas giving is not about me getting stuff, but about family and friends sharing love with one another. As the years passed from that day, the giving rather than receiving of gifts became more and more what I looked forward to at Christmas.

Now as a father of my own four little girls, I can’t wait to see the sparkle in their eyes this Christmas!

Why Not to Visit Israel

~ fundyreformed ~ 22 Comments

Every decent Christian longs to go to the Holy Land.   They would love an opportunity to see the places where Biblical events happened, touch places Jesus may have touched, see where the Temple stood and where the empty tomb may have been.   Right?   Isn’t that true?

Well, I agree with John Piper.   I don’t really want to go to the Holy Land.   I don’t feel I need to.   This past Sunday, in Pastor Piper’s message, he declared that he’s never been to Israel, and he doesn’t want to go.   He even asked the church not to send him.   His sermon is available here, but Junior transcribed the part about Israel.   I’ll post his transcription here, and then the edited version in the print copy of his sermon.

Jesus is where we meet God. If you want to say, “Where on the planet today is a holy place that I can do a pilgrimage and be in the house of God?” Answer, “Jesus!” You want to go to a holy place on the planet? Stand still and come to Jesus. There aren’t any holy sites in the Christian religion. Zero. I’ve never gone to Israel mainly for that reason. Please, when I’m here 30 years don’t give me a free trip to Israel – fix my car. I got no problem with you going to Israel. I don’t want any emails. There’s just no more Jesus in Israel than there is in your pew right now.   [Actual quote]

Now Jesus is the new Beth-el. He is the place where God is present. Heaven has opened, and Jesus has appeared. And from now on, Jesus will be the place where God appears most clearly among men, and where men find their way into fellowship with God. There are no holy geographic places any more designated by God as his meeting place with man. Jesus is that meeting place.   [Edited revision of this part]

The reason pastor Piper says these things is that the Bible doesn’t teach that Israel is some special holy land that believers should long for.   No Israel–the land–pointed to a greater reality, that of spiritual fellowship with God.   We don’t need to go anywhere to be closer to Jesus, we are members of His Body.   We don’t need to look for a future Temple, we are the reconstituted Temple.

For more on this idea, I’d encourage you to check out my series of posts on Understanding the Land Promise.

Christmas Gift Idea

~ fundyreformed ~ 2 Comments

How would you like to support missions with one of your Christmas gift choices? My grandfather is marketing a special hand-crafted wood paddle, proceeds of which benefit the Dorcas Fund–a fund to help widows and orphans in Zambia, Africa.

The paddle has an inspirational message: “Up a creek without a paddle? Seek me.   ~God.” The paddles are going for $22 each (includes shipping), now through December 15th.

You can see more pictures of the paddle and get full details here.

4000, 560, and 3

~ fundyreformed ~ 8 Comments

Warning, this is a self-serving, post. Read at your own risk…

I just realized I recently went over the 4,000 comments mark. My review of O. Palmer Robertson’s The Israel of God, created a pingback on one of my older posts back on 11/10 and that was #4,000. Then, on 11/13, David Kjos, the Thirsty Theologian, started the fifth milleniad of comments around here. I hit the 2,000 comment mark back in August of 2007, so the second 2,000 comments came in much quicker than the first.

This is also my 560th post, and this last month marked the completion of three full years of blogging. My actual blogiversary is 10/9; but I only added one more post that month, and two in November 2005. I really didn’t start blogging until December 2005, and today is the anniversary of the posting of “My Story”. That post now has 105 comments.

I’d been meaning to blog about my 3rd blogiversary, so today’s a good day to do that, especially since Jamsco mentioned today was his 501st post. (He’s gonna catch me for sure).

All of this just to say “I’m three!” No, the blog’s three, me, well…..