Obscure Music Quote of the Day

"Winning's a habit, not only a dream."

—From that classic 1970's hit, the Steelers Polka.

Just a reminder...football season is coming soon!

Thoughts on 1 Samuel 25:32-33

32 ¶ And David said to Abigail, Blessed be the LORD God of Israel, which sent thee this day to meet me:
33 And blessed be thy advice, and blessed be thou, which hast kept me this day from coming to shed blood, and from avenging myself with mine own hand.

These words were spoken after Nabal, Abigail's husband, refused to give David and his men any provisions; after David and his men set off to kill Nabal and his household, Abigail defuses the situation by bringing supplies. For this, David gives these blessings.

There are three: First, of course, he blesses the "Lord God of Israel." It is appropriate that He comes first.

The third blessing is reserved for the woman who kept him from shedding the blood of Nabal's household.

But the second blessing is upon her "advice." This struck me as being a bit odd, as blessings are usually given to people or to God. I also looked up the word "blessed" in two Hebrew lexicons and discovered that it also has the idea of kneeling in some contexts (Abigail had bowed to the ground when she came into David's presence—and he is saying this to her). The word "advice" has several meanings, including "judgment," "understanding," and "reason."

Putting it all together, David humbly blesses her decision. Wisdom is worthy of blessing, and it is worthwhile to bless it, to pray for its multiplication, and to share it with others.

Thoughts on California, Part 1

For the first time in my life, I got to go to California this week. It was a busy, enjoyable, whirlwind three-day trip. On the whole, it went very well.

I usually don't use my blog to recount my own experiences, but some were so interesting that I deemed them worth sharing.

Driving certainly is worth mentioning. We took the Hertz bus from the airport terminal to the pick-up location nearby. I had already reserved an Economy-class vehicle ("Hyundai Accent or similar"). The clerk dutifully tried to talk me into an upgrade, but made it easy: For an extra $5 per day, we could have a Ford Mustang convertible! So we decided that we'd take the Mustang.

And then it improves from there: I turn the key (first mission: to put the top down), and the odometer has the following number on it:

00010.0

And I notice that there a few pieces of plastic that haven't been removed yet (notice carefully the steering wheel in the photo)...and the floor mats still in the trunk, encased in plastic. We are the first to rent this vehicle. We get to cruise around southern California in a brand new black Mustang convertible for three days...in beautiful weather...with the top down most of the time. God is good!

Hymn of the Week: All Hail the Power of Jesus' Name

This hymn highlights in many ways our proper response to the lordship of Jesus Christ:

• The first and the next-to-last verses remind us that we ought to fall "prostrate" at his feet. Our pride is not comfortable with such a suggestion, but if our spirit is where God wants it to be, this will be a natural response.
  
• HE is to be "lord of all." Not you, not me, nor any other person—Jesus Christ is King of Kings, and Lord of Lords. We are but servants.
• HE is to be crowned, an indication that we are to place the crown of authority upon Him...a figurative picture of yielding submission to Him.

I wrote in an earlier blog entry a number of truths about the "name of Jesus." It is interesting to me that one of the Ten Commandments is not to take His name (for He is our God) in vain (Ex. 20:7). His name is above all names; it is powerful. Our responsibility is to "hail" it, to glorify it, to share it with others, telling of the One to Whom that name belongs.

All of the verses except the last were written by Edward Perronet in the late 1700's; the final verse was added a few years later by John Rippon. As with many hymns, it contains more verses than "fit" into a hymnal, so please enjoy and meditate on the unfamiliar stanzas as well as the familiar ones.

All Hail the Power of Jesus' Name

All hail the power of Jesus’ Name! Let angels prostrate fall;
Bring forth the royal diadem, and crown Him Lord of all.
Bring forth the royal diadem, and crown Him Lord of all.

Let highborn seraphs tune the lyre, and as they tune it, fall
Before His face Who tunes their choir, and crown Him Lord of all.
Before His face Who tunes their choir, and crown Him Lord of all.

Crown Him, ye morning stars of light, who fixed this floating ball;
Now hail the strength of Israel’s might, and crown Him Lord of all.
Now hail the strength of Israel’s might, and crown Him Lord of all.

Crown Him, ye martyrs of your God, who from His altar call;
Extol the Stem of Jesse’s Rod, and crown Him Lord of all.
Extol the Stem of Jesse’s Rod, and crown Him Lord of all.

Ye seed of Israel’s chosen race, ye ransomed from the fall,
Hail Him Who saves you by His grace, and crown Him Lord of all.
Hail Him Who saves you by His grace, and crown Him Lord of all.

Hail Him, ye heirs of David’s line, whom David Lord did call,
The God incarnate, Man divine, and crown Him Lord of all,
The God incarnate, Man divine, and crown Him Lord of all.

Sinners, whose love can ne’er forget the wormwood and the gall,
Go spread your trophies at His feet, and crown Him Lord of all.
Go spread your trophies at His feet, and crown Him Lord of all.

Let every tribe and every tongue before Him prostrate fall
And shout in universal song the crownèd Lord of all.
And shout in universal song the crownèd Lord of all.

O that, with yonder sacred throng, we at His feet may fall,
Join in the everlasting song, and crown Him Lord of all,
Join in the everlasting song, and crown Him Lord of all!

Democrat Hypocrisy

These two comics were sent in an e-mail from a friend, and concisely illustrate the consistent, shallow hypocrisy of liberal Democrats who are better at criticizing than getting constructive progress made.

And for the record, President Bush has taken the right stand on both of these issues.

Demolition Video...In Style!

It may be that nowhere else, besides my alma mater, could a demolition video be done with the style and flair of this one.

Bob Jones University is replacing the lobby area of Rodeheaver Auditorium this year. The "front" end of the building has been torn off (the subject of the video), to be replaced by a much larger lobby and facade. I am sure it will be a great improvement to the structure.

MLB Trivia Fact

Today's MLB All-Star game at Yankee Stadium is the first time since 2000 that the game is being played at a ballpark NOT named for a corporation.

And the 2000 game was played at Turner Field in Atlanta. The 1999 game was at Fenway Park in Boston.

On The Proper Use of Satire

The above New Yorker magazine just came out. Here are the reactions:

The Obama camp spokesperson referred to it as "tasteless and offensive," among other things. (See this foxnews.com article)

John McCain's campaign also referred to it as "tasteless and offensive." [Side note: I am getting worried that the two of them are sounding far too much alike sometimes.]

The New Yorker released this statement: "The burning flag, the nationalist-radical and Islamic outfits, the fist-bump, the portrait on the wall? All of them echo one attack or another. Satire is part of what we do, and it is meant to bring things out into the open, to hold up a mirror to prejudice, the hateful, and the absurd. And that’s the spirit of this cover."

The New Yorker's stated intent is to parody the various stories circulating about Obama: That he is a closet Muslim, that his wife is a black radical, etc.; their claim is that by caricaturing these things, they will show the ridiculousness of what is circulating. In that sense, they are within their rights.

On the other hand, the Obama camp's outrage is understandable, as more people will actually see the cover and assume that the cover is factual, than will actually read the article themselves. After all, the New Yorker is a well-established and reliable publication, is it not? And nothing on that cover clearly states that this is parody or satire.

And, of course, if it were me running for president, the magazine's cover would probably show something resembling the Inquisition (Baptist-style, no doubt) with me as the potentate-in-charge, condemning homosexuals and abortion doctors to die. Or something like that. And I would be pretty ticked off.

So as difficult as it is for me to admit, I must give just a little sympathy to Obama on this one. Unless the New Yorker can document what it caricatures, it needs to be more responsible regarding its artwork.

Hymn of the Week: Springs of Living Water

This past week I spent some time roofing a house. And when the afternoon sun came out, there's just one thing to say: It was hot up there!

And when the time came to take a drink, that felt good. Refreshing. Satisfying.

But after a little more time, another drink was necessary. It would also feel good, and refreshing, and satisfying.

Compare that to what Christ said in John 4:14: "But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life."

Once we are saved, and have that salvation which is so often compared to "living water," we will not thirst again. Salvation [what we theologically refer to as "eternal security"] is a once-for-all-time matter. It is "refreshing" to know that we can always trust in this.

But, if one does not accept the living water freely offered to all, he will go to a place where there is no respite from the heat, and no quenching of thirst.

These words are by John W. Peterson.

Springs of Living Water

I thirsted in the barren land of sin and shame.
And nothing satisfying there I found.
But to the blessed cross of Christ one day I came.
Where springs of living water did abound.

[Chorus]
Drinking at the springs of living water
Happy now am I
My soul they satisfy
Drinking at the springs of living water
Oh wonderful and bountiful supply

How sweet the living water from the hills of God.
It makes me glad and happy all the way.
Now glory, grace and blessing mark the path I've trod.
I'm shouting "Hallelujah" every day.

Chorus

O sinner won't you come today to calvary.
A fountain there is flowing deep and wide.
The Saviour now invites you to the water free.
Where thirsting spirits can be satisfied.

Chorus