On my new cell phone purchased last week, I can select little graphics to send in text messages. Among hundreds of tiny cartoonish images and smiley-faces, there are two that stand out as pitiful signs of the times: a man holding hands with another man, and an image of a woman holding hands with a woman. Another way for the devil to remind us he’s just about everywhere.
Updates from Weylan Deaver Toggle Comment Threads | Keyboard Shortcuts
-
Weylan Deaver
-
Weylan Deaver
Wrote a sermon outline yesterday for upcoming Mother’s Day, based on several obscure women in the Old Testament. Looking at it this morning, it seemed one of the women was not clearly a mother (in which case, it would miss the whole point of basing the sermon on biblical mothers). With slight editing, the point was salvaged without striking her from the outline. Review and proofing are good things to do before preaching.
-
J. Randal Matheny
Oops! Sunday I mentioned a biblical story, in Portuguese, of course, from an article I’d read in English, impromptu, and I couldn’t remember a couple of the names. But I’d already started, so my eyes pleaded to The Missus for help. Duh!
-
Butch Adams
lol. The other thing you don’t do is read something someone walks up and hands you!
-
J. Randal Matheny
I did that in the Bible class, so it wasn’t quite as bad as if it were sermon time.
Yup, not recommended at all. Unless, of course, it’s the wife who hands it to you, then it’s a must.
-
-
-
Weylan Deaver
Yep, not a fan of the last minute note, handed to you in expectation of its immediate public reading…
-
-
Weylan Deaver
"'The Hobbit' is merely the adaptation to children of part of a huge private mythology of a most serious kind: the whole cosmic struggle as he sees it but mediated through an imaginary world. The Hobbit's successor, which will soon be finished, will reveal this more clearly."
C.S. Lewis, in a private letter to Charles Brady, 29 October 1944, quoted in "The Collected Letters of C.S. Lewis, Volume II, edited by Walter Hooper, p. 631. Lewis was commenting on the new book from his great friend, J.R.R. Tolkien--can you imagine if either of them were alive today to see the cinematic treatments of those books? These 69 years later, fans still adore the stories, but may be clueless of the underlying biblical framework whence Tolkien wrote.
-
Weylan Deaver
Hope all are aware of the new Warren Christian Apologetics Center (http://warrenapologeticscenter.org/) and will support it as you can. On another subject, my wife is making homemade chicken pot pie for lunch, and it is getting about lunchtime. Carry on.
-
Ron Thomas
I plan on being there (God willing) in May for the historical Jesus seminar.
-
Weylan Deaver
Great, Ron. I won’t be, but have learned that my Dad and Glenn Jobe plan to be there, so you should run into them.
-
Ron Thomas
Weylan, Your article on BN – is that a word document? If so, could I get an attachment. It’s easier for me to read.
-
Weylan Deaver
How about I email it to you as a .pdf? (Definitely easier on the eyes that way.)
-
Ron Thomas
Yes, that would be great. Thank you.
-
-
-
Weylan Deaver
"His sermons to me have appeared Samsonian in strength, Pauline in wisdom and Christ-like in meekness."
M. H. Northcross' assessment of T. B. Larimore's preaching (quoted in Earl I. West, "Search for the Ancient Order," vol. III, p. 92).
-
Don Ruhl
Wow! That is an awesome way to picture sermons. May God help us all to so preach!
-
-
Weylan Deaver
"Those who profess to dislike history may as well profess to dislike people. What they really mean is that they dislike the externals, the framework of information. Such details are necessary to the telling of the story, but the real story itself is the people who were involved."
Preface, p. 25 of Everett Ferguson's Church History, vol. I (From Christ to Pre-Reformation)
-
Weylan Deaver
Preaching Is Tough
In the third volume of his masterpiece, Search for the Ancient Order (p. 57), Earl Irvin West quotes from an article in the Nov. 17, 1914 issue of Christian Leader by Claude F. Witty. In it, Witty describes some advice an old Christian gave him after he preached his first sermon:
“My brother, now that you have begun to preach, the people of the world will try to kill you, the people of other churches will try to kill you, and that is not all, for your own brethren will try to kill you. And, if they can, you ought to die (as a preacher). If you are not strong enough to live through the ordeal, you are not fit for a preacher of the gospel; but if you are strong enough to live in spite of them, then you are strong enough to make a success of your work.”
-
Weylan Deaver
Reblogged this on Weylan Words.
-
-
Weylan Deaver
I recently had the privilege of meeting and visiting with Andy Erwin in person at Tennessee Bible College’s lectureship. He preaches in Killen, Alabama, and is a doctoral student at the college. Recently, he was named editor of the “Gospel Gleaner” (http://gospelgleaner.com/). TFR’s own Ron Thomas is a staff-writer. I sent in my check for a subscription. At $10 per year for a monthly journal in your mailbox, with quality writers, it looks like a steal.
-
Ron Thomas
I appreciate your confidence, Weylan.
-
-
Weylan Deaver
One advantage of converting to black coffee (as opposed to cream and sugar) is easier cleanup, since it’s not gooey or sticky. For example, hypothetically, let’s say this morning you were walking while reading 1 Samuel on the iPad in your right hand and the cup of coffee in your other hand sloshes onto the screen…
-
J. Randal Matheny
Hypothetically, one might consider holding the iPad OVER the cup to avoid sloshes. Or sitting down while reading. But black coffee does have that advantage over C&S.
-
-
Weylan Deaver
Just a note of well-wishing for Randal’s trip to the States. Hope your travel is smooth and uneventful. I may even see you this weekend in, of all places, Tennessee.
-
J. Randal Matheny
Thanks, brother. Tenn. is a good place to meet. Hope to be there, Lord permitting. We’re just an hour away.
-
-
Weylan Deaver
F.D. Srygley on preacher schools, 1899
I was reading this morning in volume II of Earl West’s Search for the Ancient Order (pp. 383-384) some interesting comments from F.D. Srygley regarding his opinion on schools designed to train professional preachers. They appeared in the February 16, 1899 issue of the Gospel Advocate and are longer than what I’ll post here, but here is one paragraph:
The idea that men who graduate from schools designed and operated specially to educate preachers can preach better than men who have not taken the prescribed course in such schools turns the attention of the people from the Bible to the schools as the source of religious light. The philosophy of it is that something about Christianity can be learned in such schools which cannot be learned from the Bible without the help of the school. This weakens the confidence of the people in their ability to read and understand the Bible without the help of such schools. The effect of this is to discourage efforts among people who cannot attend such schools to study the Bible for themselves, form their own conclusions as to what it teaches, and preach the gospel exactly as it reads in the New Testament. Instead of robust individuality in Bible study and independent vigor in faith, people accept the doctrine promulgated from the schools, even though it is contrary to what seems to them to be the plain teaching of the Bible. They gradually come to have more confidence in the dictum of the schools than in their own understanding of the Bible. This gives the schools the power, and sometimes creates in them the disposition and desire to “lord it over God’s heritage.”
-
Don Ruhl
I understand and agree with Srygley, but there is also the truth of Second Timothy 2.2, “And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.”
-
Jim
I appreciate the post. I preach for a congregation who’s founding members included three of F.D.’s brothers and his father and assorted other members of his family. I don’t necessarily agree with F.D. but it’s interesting seeing his thinking.
-
Weylan Deaver
Personally, I’m a graduate of two preacher schools and Freed-Hardeman, so I owe a debt to such institutions. But I appreciate Srygley’s point. We don’t want to foster a scenario where saints don’t feel qualified to study, or teach, or preach, unless they attain some missing ingredient they imagine only an official, formal school can offer.
-
-
Weylan Deaver
Tennessee Bible College, 32nd Annual Spiritual Renewal Lectureship
If anyone is in the Middle Tennessee area, there is a short lecture series coming up at Tennessee Bible College February 22-24 (see link for details).
-
J. Randal Matheny
I was going to ask if you were going, but I see you’re one of the speakers. Good deal! If I can set down the grandbaby, I might jump over that way on Saturday. Never been to TBC. Shouldn’t take too long from Mt. Juliet …
-
Weylan Deaver
Cookeville is only about 80 miles east of Nashville. However, by no means do I intend to put a lesson of mine in competition with seeing your new grandbaby. It would be great to see you, but I know your time over here is limited, and you need to see your kids.
-
J. Randal Matheny
Google says it takes an hour, so that might not be too bad. We’ll have to see how things go after arrival. But I might pop up …
-
-
-
Weylan Deaver
I was reading this afternoon in Earl Irvin West’s volume 2 of “Search for the Ancient Order,” p. 340 (I realize book titles should be underlined or italicized, not put in quote marks, but, alas, formating options are limited here). He quotes a “Texas proverb” from T. R. Burnett, which appeared in the “Gospel Advocate” edition of February 28, 1895, and I thought Randal would appreciate. It runs thus:
“There is more joy in a printing-office over one sinner who pays in advance, and abuses the editor on every occasion, than over ninety and nine church members who take the paper and sing its praises and puff the editor, but never contribute one cent to keep him out of the poor-house.”
-
J. Randal Matheny
Absolutely! This after seeing a tweet about Christians being bad tippers. Here in Brazil, evangelicals (OK, so it’s not us) are infamous for having bad credit. But we have some good folk, too. And they’re not even Texans!
On the formatting, if you’ll post from within WP rather than on the front page of TFR, you’ll get more options than you can shake a stick at.
-
Weylan Deaver
Ah. Thanks for the tip. I didn’t realize the GA, back in the day, had in its stable some pens with a wry sense of humor. For example, in J. C. McQuiddy’s “Miscellany” column of June 1, 1893, he noted some goings on of several preachers, then said the GA’s “first page man is writing an extemporaneous speech which he has been notified he will be unexpectedly called on to make at a commencement occasion in a few days.”
-
J. Randal Matheny
The photos of those guys make them look stiff and somber. Good to read stuff like you’ve quoted to let us know they could get a gleam in the eye.
-
-
-
-
Weylan Deaver
Monday I started composing an outline to preach based on Numbers 25 (the plague at Peor). It turned into ten points, so it’s getting split into two sermons — no end to good preaching material in the Old Testament.
-
Don Ruhl
I agree with you, brother Weyland, in the strongest way. Unfortunately, in the church we have an antagonistic attitude toward the Law, the Psalms, and the Prophets, as Jesus would put it, but we need to know the Old Testament, for it is the word of God.
I could write endlessly in this comment box about this topic, but I will say this for now: I am also preaching on Numbers this coming Lord’s Day, showing Christ in Numbers. Check out one of my web sites: TheOldTestamentAndTheNewTestament.com
-
Weylan Deaver
I will take a look at the site, bro. Don. One aspect of the OT I enjoy is turning individual Psalms into sermons. I’ve made a dent, but have covered fewer than 20 so far.
-
J. Randal Matheny
Well! I came looking for all those points and you’ve deprived us of them! ;-)
-
Weylan Deaver
Okay, Randal, here’s the skeleton of sermon #1 (based on Numbers 25:1-5):
1. Nefarious Neighbors (v. 1)
Lesson: Weak faith is at the mercy of the wicked.
2. Injurious Invitation (v. 2)
Lesson: Apostasy can begin with a friendly invitation.
3. Corrupt Connection (v. 3)
Lesson: Do not put yourself under the influence of what angers the Lord.
4. Divine Displeasure (v. 4)
Lesson: There is no harmless perversion of worship.
5. Killing Kinfolk (v. 5)
Lesson: Allegiance to God may mean opposing your own.
-
J. Randal Matheny
Great lessons there!
-
-
-
-
Weylan Deaver
Note In view of this week’s events I…
[Note: In view of this week's events, I wrote this earlier today for next Wednesday's edition of the local newspaper, and thought to post it here first].
A Culture Without Christ Is a Society Without a Savior
Two millennia ago, an apostle wrote that “the whole world lieth in the evil one” (1 John 5:19). Nothing has changed, has it? Modern American culture is dominated by the devil, nearly any direction you look. In his inaugural address earlier this month, the President celebrated homosexuality. The next day he celebrated abortion, lauding the 40th anniversary of the Roe v. Wade decision, which ushered in the taking of over fifty million unborn Americans’ lives. The day after that, we learned the President’s administration will be recommending that women soldiers be on the front lines of combat, further eroding the God-made distinctions between men and women, and shamefully dishonoring the roles each should fill. We are saturated with the sexual, permeated with the profane, and compassed by the crude. We are enamored by all that is perverse and unholy. A diet of vulgarity and violence leaves us jaded. What once shocked, now barely raises an eyebrow. What was in the closet is on parade. Values are pushed aside that vice might have the right of way. Principles of decency, uprightness, honesty, integrity, and family that we took for granted as necessary are now deemed quaint in a civilization becoming more uncivil by the hour. How fast and how far can a society abandon God? America’s answer seems to be: “Just watch us and find out!” The road to ruin will eventually get there. Things cannot continue endlessly as they are. Something will have to give, sooner or later. The current culture is not going to save us. In point of fact, the moral climate is encouraging in the wrong direction. Only Jesus Christ can save a sick soul, or a sick society. But we have to want it. That means sacrificing our sins instead of celebrating them. It means humility instead of hubris. It means repentance instead of rebellion. Only God knows whether our culture can turn a corner, or is already past saving. But the hour seems late, does it not? “Righteousness exalteth a nation; But sin is a reproach to any people” (Proverbs 14:34).
-
John T. Polk II
Concise, thorough, timely, Scriptural, erudite. The only thing wrong with this is that I didn’t send it in first! Preach on, brothers.
-
Chester Callan
AMEN! We are on a slipery slope to hell as a nation but the words of Psalms 11 are still true even today.
Somehow we just never learn.
-
-
Weylan Deaver
You never know when a sermon idea will strike. Sometimes it happens when you wake up in the night and your mind happens on a thought. You think to yourself, “I’m going to remember that in the morning and write it into a sermon when I get to the office.” You get to the office, work on your new outline a little more, and then think to do a search in your records to see — just in case — if you have written on the subject before. To your chagrin, you then see that you have already written, not one, but TWO, similar sermons in years past on the very idea you thought was so original earlier today. In the relentless pace of sermon production, it is amazing what you can forget you preached in the distant, or even near past. I think it was Jim Laws who summed up the plight of the preacher thus: “Two songs, a prayer, and I’m up again.”
-
J. Randal Matheny
Records, who keeps records?
If I don’t remember a sermon idea previously developed and delivered, can’t I expect that the congregation won’t either? ;-)
-
Weylan Deaver
You’re probably right, Randal!
-
-
Weylan Deaver
Looks like there are three students taking the brand new undergraduate course on 1 & 2 Thessalonians (T134) via the online program of Tennessee Bible College (http://tbc.tn-biblecollege.edu/). Now I’ve got to figure out how to upload my lectures so they can get to them…
-
J. Randal Matheny
What a coincidence! I’m teaching 1-2Th in Taubaté this quarter. I ought to take your class, then.
Days are I think of starting another degree. Then I go lie down until the urge passes. ;-)
-
Larry Miles
You could upload them to a public Dropbox folder and then send a link to the students
-
Weylan Deaver
Thanks, Larry. I’m trying now to get it converted to mp3 to upload to Moodle. Hope I won’t have to resort to the Dropbox link.
-
Larry Miles
I understand that, Weylan– you could add the links to your WordPress blog — the plug-in I use for audio is Blubrry Press http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/powerpress/
-
-
-
-
Weylan Deaver
Yesterday we began a new series in the auditorium Bible class on “Bible Authority,” based on my grandfather’s little book (titled “Ascertaining Bible Authority”). I’ve re-cast it into my own format, added to it over the years, and have previously taught through it at four congregations where I once worked. I wish every congregation would digest the contents of that short book and take it to heart. Wrongly handling Scripture leads to wrong conclusions, which lead to wrong practices, which lead to apostasy.
-
J. Randal Matheny
Sounds great. The topic is usually the first one I teach in an evangelistic study. You have a pdf or other format in electronic media you’re willing to share?
-
Ron Thomas
I have the book – it is a good one.
-
drkenney
Have you ever put this material to PPT? I have thought about doing that myself and teaching this material with that medium.
-
Weylan Deaver
No, I don’t have any slides to go with it. As for sharing my teaching notes, I might be able to do that later. But, right now, I’m revising them as I get ready for each class, so it will probably take at least a few months to whip them into shape. I’ve thought of working on revising and updating the book, itself. It seems to me that, if you could abbreviate and synthesize the content of my grandfather’s book on Bible Authority, along with my dad’s book on Faith and Knowledge, a Refutation of Agnosticism, and Thomas B. Warren’s book on When Is an Example Binding, you would have a great hermeneutics course.
-
John Henson
Love that little book. Big things come in small packages!
-
J. Randal Matheny
Sounds like a good project …
-
-
-
Weylan Deaver
Here are a few things the Bible says about our weather–pretty amazing the claims God makes concerning his being in control of things (it’s definitely not “Mother Nature”):
-
Weylan Deaver
Here’s my daughter’s (Lacey’s) latest blog piece: “UnaPEELing Apples” http://ivorykeys94.wordpress.com/2012/06/21/unapeeling-apples/
-
Richard Hill
Very well done! With Lacey’s permission I would like to include this in our bulletin.
-
ivorykeys94
Yes, that would be absolutely fine! Thanks so much for your consideration! :)
Lacey
-
-
-
Weylan Deaver
Hello David Kenney,
Just read your good review of Robert Milligan’s 1868 book on “Reason and Revelation,” which appeared in the Warren Apologetics Center’s journal, “Sufficient Evidence” (April 2012). Keep up the good work!-
David Kenney
Hello Weylan Deaver:
Thanks for making my day! I obtained permission to reprint this on my blog from Warren Christian Apologetics Center. The link for others to read, if they have not subscribed to the journal yet, is http://drkenney.blogspot.com/2012/06/reasonand-revelation-or-province.html.
Have a great day Fellow!
David R. Kenney
-
-
Weylan Deaver
Here’s a good article by Ron Thomas with some scary stats on our increasingly corrupt culture: http://etsop95.wordpress.com/2012/04/30/changing-attitudes/
-
Ron Thomas
Thank you, Weylan, for this kindness.
-
-
Weylan Deaver
Here’s an excellent article by Charles Pugh III, Director of the new Warren Christian Apologetics Center. If God is the foundation of rationality, then, to argue from a godless perspective is to attack rationality itself (since the cosmos [including our thought processes] is all a non-purposive accident.
-
Weylan Deaver
Randal, how is the new Forthright site going? I’m sure you’ve already considered the possibility of e-books, as well. My folks will be in town tomorrow for a brief stay and I plan to talk to them about the future of the Biblical Notes book inventory.
-
Russ McCullough
I have a book on the emerging church that I’ve tried to get published. Do you know a publisher that might want to take a chance on an un-known that has a great book and no money? I can send a PDF to anyone interested.
-
J. Randal Matheny
Weylan, it’s coming along well, PayPal still isn’t working right but the order forms are OK. Bugs here and there to kill too. Good deal on the chat with your folks. We’re good with whatever. Yes, we’re looking at doing our first book in eformat rather than reprinting it.
Russ, we’re not in a position to consider it, unfortunately. Have one ready to come out shortly, a reply to McLaren’s book. I hope you can find someone to take it up.
-
John Henson
Hey, Randal. Anything I might be interested in knowing?
-
J. Randal Matheny
Hi, John. Sorry, but I think I’m a bit lost with your question. It’s been a long weekend. :)
-
-
-
-
Weylan Deaver
Anyone have experience with Olive Tree software/apps? I’ve just begun using it for reading (they are currently offering the ESV free for a limited time) instead of iBooks. But I’ve not used any of its other features. I’m sure it’s more powerful than what I’m using it for, but it at least works well for daily Bible reading.
-
Barbara Ann Oliver
I have used Olive Tree for probably 10 years or more, way back when they had it for Palm Pilots. I use it mostly on my Nook now so that I don’t have to carry so many Bibles to worship and Bible class. I have to admit that I am not a power user, but I really enjoy reading my Greek Bible on it since it has Bill Mounce’s built-in dictionary. There are also Strong’s references and concordance information. Over all, I think it is a great app.
-
Chad Dollahite
I think Daniel Howell is pretty good with it. He preaches in Kentucky and used to work with us at GBN. There is actually a front-page article about it on his website – http://www.mdanielhowell.com/
If you go to http://www.mdanielhowell.com/about-daniel/ you’ll see more about Daniel and how to get in touch with him. He is a good man and *very* good with anything tech!
-
Weylan Deaver
Thanks for the insights. Daniel Howell does have some interesting things to say. I didn’t even realize composing an outline in Evernote was possible.
-
J. Randal Matheny
Be sure you can export from Evernote into a usable format, or you might be stuck in it.
-
-
Robert Floyd
If you’re prepared to make the investment in resource materials, the Olive Tree suite can enhance your Bible study and class/sermon preparation tremendously. Imagine having your reference library with you at all times and being able to work on your lessons anytime/anywhere. The Resource Guide is a great tool, which basically links all your reference materials to scripture. Imagine being on a verse and having every reference to that verse in your collection of books show up.
I’ve been using it for a couple of years (going back to the Palm days) and can’t imagine going back to pounds of books.
-
Jordan
What device(s) are you using BibleReader on? We have a lot of “quick start” and “how-tos” in the help section of our site: http://olivetree.com/help/, and we have webinars multiple times a week that you can participate in for free to learn all about what BibleReader can do.
I’m a developer at Olive Tree, so naturally I use BibleReader a lot myself and I’d be happy to answer any questions have or can’t find answers to on our site (although someone in our support department would probably be better suited to answer those questions, lol!)
-
-
Weylan Deaver
I’m writing a sermon on “Dinosaurs In The Bible,” thanks to a request from one of the saints here yesterday. I’ve preached often regarding apologetics, but never a whole sermon on dinosaurs. Something new!
-
J. Randal Matheny
So what’s the title, “Can dinosaurs be saved?”
-
Eugene Adkins
I know where I’d start – Genesis 1:24,25. Hope you find what you’re digging for :)
-
Weylan Deaver
Too late for dinosaurs to be saved, but I think it turned out alright. I cover origin, how could they fit on the ark, did they live at the same time as humans, where they are mentioned in Scripture, biblical and unbiblical theories of their demise, and why this isn’t taught in schools.
-
J. Randal Matheny
Glad it worked well. Are we going to see it somewhere online?
-
Weylan Deaver
I’m expect the audio to be online sometime next week. I don’t know if it will be written into an article or not.
-
J. Randal Matheny
Sounds good. Give us a heads-up when it appears.
-
J. Randal Matheny
Or if you got it send it and we’ll post it.
-
-
-
-
Weylan Deaver
And here’s a new piece from my favorite 18-year old daughter (reflections on turning 18):
-
Mike Riley
Weylan, I like what your daughter said here: “Having an insatiable appetite for learning new things.” Pray that her appetite in this area never wanes. I know students that I teach who are satisfied with just “getting by” – not interested in anything new to learn or challenge their mind. I feel sorry for these young folks, for they are severely limiting themselves by having this attitude.
-
-
Weylan Deaver
Interesting point: In 1 Kings 14, Abijah (young son of the wicked king, Jeroboam) was sick and God said he would die, be mourned and buried, because there was something in him that pleased the Lord — out of all the unpleasing family of Jeroboam. We might expect, since there was something about Abijah that God liked, he might get well and live a long life. Instead, he dies as a child and, from God’s point of view, it was a blessing. In contrast, the rest of Jeroboam’s family would die and be unburied, eaten by dogs and birds. Sometimes what appears a tragedy is really a blessing in disguise.
-
Weylan Deaver
"Note, in the examples above, that when a sentence is made stronger, it usually becomes shorter. Thus, brevity is a by-product of vigor."
William Strunk Jr. in "The Elements of Style" (3rd edition), p. 19.
-
J. Randal Matheny
Strunk and White is one of my favorites.
-
-
Weylan Deaver
Working on a sermon outline titled, “Sometimes the Good Die Young.” I’m planning to use Abel, Jonathan, Uriah, Jeroboam’s sick boy, John the Immerser, and Stephen (drawing some lessons along the way). We’ll see how it turns out…
-
J. Randal Matheny
How young is young? If you got the Immerser on the list, why not add the Lord Jesus as well?
-
Eugene Adkins
How about James, the brother of John.
-
John Henson
Dibs on the outline!
-
Weylan Deaver
Randal, I’m not sure how young young is, and the ages in question are generally not given. I thought about using Jesus as a main point, but, perhaps, rather, in the conclusion (if at all, since I’m trying to use some lesser known examples). Hadn’t considered James, Eugene. Outline is not finished, but it will not be comprehensive. Else, it would be too long. I hope it preaches well.
-
J. Randal Matheny
Let us hear how it goes. Share the riches.
-
-
-
Weylan Deaver
Where is the Christian’s line for cultural participation?
[Note: The letter below is in reply to a sister who objected to being given a Valentine's card, on the basis that Valentine's Day is Catholic in origin. It brings up a thought provoking issue on which I believe we have some latitude of opinion. Any thoughts?]
Dear _____________,
Thank you for taking time to express your concern, as indicated in your email of February 27. Please allow me to make a brief response, and then you will know where I am coming from.
There is no doubt many of our holidays trace their origins to Catholic, or even pagan roots. What if, over time, the roots were forgotten and what remained were customs and traditions which were, themselves, not inherently sinful? For example, you admit it is right to express love every day, and I assume you would not object to greeting cards given throughout the year, saying “I love you.” As you indicated in your email, the young mother who gave you a card that Sunday had no idea a Valentine had any connection to Catholicism.
That is my point. We (at least, we, non-Catholics) keep the day as an American tradition. If I take my wife to dinner on February 14, it is in no way a celebration of anything Catholic. My family calls it “Valentine’s Day.” We do not call it “St. Valentine’s Day,” and we do not attach any more religious significance to it than we attach to “Martin Luther King Day.”
The question is, when faced with any given tradition (which is not wrong in itself), am I obligated to track down every facet of its history and then condemn it if I can locate any connection with false religion?
In the first century, Christians in Corinth were faced with the problem of eating meat which had a history associated with paganism. Paul said it was alright to “Eat whatever is sold in the meat market without raising any question on the ground of conscience” (1 Corinthians 10:25, ESV). If a piece of meat had been previously offered to an idol, the Christian did not need to find that out. He just needed to buy the meat and use it as God intended. If his conscience would not allow that, then he had the right not to eat meat at all (1 Corinthians 8:1-13).
So, if you choose not to participate in any way in the giving of Valentine’s cards and candy, I respect your opinion and right to do so. But I would not condemn another who chose to do something that was right, in itself (such as giving a card, candy, etc. to express affection), just because it is possible to dig into an encyclopedia and point out where the holiday originated. Especially when it originated centuries in the past and has now lost its religious connotation.
I have the right to begin a tradition in my own family, but not the right to force it on others. A nation has the right to have its own customs, but not the right to bind anything contrary to Scripture. As a citizen, I have the right to participate in my own society’s traditions, so long as they do not conflict with the Bible. The fact is, Valentine’s Day — whatever its beginning — is not considered by most Americans to be an endorsement of, or participation in the Catholic religion. Or, if it is, then I am unaware of it. I know that is not the way I grew up thinking, and it is not the way the day is viewed in my family.
One other passage, and it is Romans 14:5-6 (ASV): “One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike. Let each man be fully assured in his own mind. He that regardeth the day, regardeth it unto the Lord: and he that eateth, eateth unto the Lord, for he giveth God thanks; and he that eateth not, unto the Lord he eateth not, and giveth God thanks.”
If I understand that passage, it is saying we have the right to make certain days more important than others, in our own mind. I may count one day as special, while you consider the same day to be routine. You may count a different day as special, while I consider it to be not special. Neither of us has the right to bind our special day on the other, and neither has the right to condemn the other for regarding a day more special than another.
I hope you will give this consideration. If it does not sway your mind, then at least you know my perspective. My own wife sends out Valentine cards. I don’t think that means we are leaving the gospel. We are simply exercising an option to participate in a day the country sets aside as special by doing something that is not inherently wrong (i.e. mailing greeting cards).
If any sinful practice were being promoted, then we ought to put a stop to it right away. But many cultural traditions are practiced by people across the religious spectrum (even atheists), including Valentine’s cards, gifts at Christmas, decorating a tree, carving a pumpkin. I have the right to participate in society as long as I do not participate in sin. In my judgment, if any of those customs is to be proven as sinful, it will have to be on some basis other than merely pointing out that, hundreds of years ago, there were people who connected religious ideas to those customs. The question for us is: How are those customs perceived by Americans today? If most Americans viewed Valentine’s cards as an exercise of Catholic religion, then I would say we should not participate. But, I think that is simply not the case.
As you know, today is Thursday. But, you probably do not think of Norse mythology and the pagan god named Thor whenever you say “Thursday.” Yet, Thursday is named after Thor. If your reasoning about Valentine’s Day is correct, then we should also find another name for Thursday (and some of the other days of the week), since their names have pagan roots. However, if you can see that Thursday, in most of our minds, is not connected with Norse mythology (even though that is its true origin), then perhaps you can see that Valentine’s Day could be celebrated without making a connection to Catholicism. I hope this is helpful. Thanks again for writing, and may God bless you this week!
In His service,
Weylan Deaver, preacher
Sherman Drive church of Christ-
J. Randal Matheny
Excellent! I’ve used the days of the week as examples just as you have.
-
-
Weylan Deaver
Tennessee Bible College’s Annual Leadership Day
It took place last Saturday in Cookeville, Tennessee, and the audio is already on their website here: http://www.tn-biblecollege.edu/leadershipday.html. Its format was unique, with several brief sketches of preachers from a bygone era. Enjoy.
-
Weylan Deaver
"God is directly responsible only for the fact of freedom, not for all the acts of freedom."
Norman Geisler & Paul Feinberg, "Introduction to Philosophy (A Christian Perspective)" p. 329
-
J. Randal Matheny
I have that book, but haven’t peeked at it in a while. Maybe I need to pick it up again?
I sent this quote to QBT, with a link back to here. Thanks! http://quickbibletruths.com
-
Weylan Deaver
Very tedious, that book. I’m most of the way through it, but am thinking there must be a better intro to philosophy out there.
-
J. Randal Matheny
I think I bought it in college for an Intro to Philosophy class. Wasn’t and isn’t my cup of tea, and I wound up dropping the course. Maybe because I’m more an intuitive than analytic thinker, dunno. But the book continues to collect dust.
-
-
-
-
Weylan Deaver
It has been mentioned before, but I would encourage all to be familiar with (and support, if you can) the new Warren Christian Apologetics Center (http://warrenapologeticscenter.org/). There are some denominational folk doing good work in the apologetics arena, but the Warren Center is an effort by our brethren to uphold the cause of Christian theism in a skeptical world.
-
Weylan Deaver
Having stood at the DPS for about an hour and a half to renew my driver’s license, it’s time now to study Revelation 4-5 for tonight’s class. Next renewal: 2018.
-
Ron Thomas
One of the nice things about IL is that this can be done via the mail or, in my case, via the “booth” they have at the Illinois State Fair.
-
-
Weylan Deaver
Yesterday I read my first Max Lucado book (“One Incredible Moment”). Yes, he is a talented writer. Some of his style is simply making up details not in the text and weaving them in vivid description (which carries the danger of your remembering the biblical story with details that are not actually in the biblical story). And, some of it is genuinely thought-provoking. What did I not appreciate? There was at least one typo. More serious, he uses denominational terminology, such as “pastor” for preacher. More serious yet, he so vividly describes God’s love, the gift of Jesus to the world, man’s need for salvation — and then fails to offer God’s terms of forgiveness. Lucado’s writing is creative, but his teaching is not distinctive. In other words, it could be endorsed by just about any denomination, which, no doubt, is key to his widespread popularity across the religious spectrum. The book is not mine. It was lent me, unsolicited, by a church member. I will give it back tonight. I will not say Lucado has nothing at all to offer. But, when it comes to the distinctive marks of the Lord’s church, he is offering readers almost nothing at all.
-
Mike Riley
I haven’t read any of Max’s books, but from what I have read about him, his writings tend to “bend” toward the Community Church movement.
-
John Henson
“Lucado’s writing is creative, but his teaching is not distinctive. In other words, it could be endorsed by just about any denomination, which, no doubt, is key to his widespread popularity across the religious spectrum.” That’s it, brother. That’s the heart of it right there.
-
David Kenney
“I think I would make a good Baptist.” — Max Lucado in The Baptist Standard, http://www.baptiststandard.com/2001/8_6/pages/lucado.html. Use the Law of Identity on that and one can easily see why you felt the way you did about his book.
-
-
Weylan Deaver
Learned this morning from Randal that the average American throws $103 at Valentine’s Day–let’s hope my wife is not alerted to that statistic.
-
John Henson
Mine has been above the average and it ain’t over yet.
-
Weylan Deaver
Be strong, John.
-
-
Stephen R. Bradd
Hmm. The average American OR the average American COUPLE?
$206 per couple–that seems a bit high. Maybe I’m just cheap and out of touch.John is making up for Weylan and I.
Of course, a more helpful statistic in this case would be the MEDIAN. I bet there are some outliers really bringing the mean up. I’m just guessing, though. I could be wrong.
-
Eugene Adkins
My life got a $2.50 card with a $1,000,000 message written inside :)
-
Stephen R. Bradd
Nice Freudian slip there, my friend…
“My LIFE”
If only everyone viewed their mate as their “life”!-
Eugene Adkins
I’ll say one thing Stephen, I wish I could take total credit for it, but you were right in that my comment was a “slip.” I did mean to put “wife” but hey, you know what they say – if the shoe fits….
The funny thing is that the “W” and the “L” are on different sides of the keyboard! I told my wife what happend and she said it was subliminal. Maybe she’s right. Have a great night brother.
-
-
-
-
Weylan Deaver
I’ve been working this week on a line of thought that hit me Sunday morning as I was studying for a sermon based in Numbers 20. It involves a comparison between what happened there at the rock in Kadesh and what happened 40 years prior at another rock in Rephidim (Exodus 17). Both involved a rock, water, Moses, a staff, and a complaining people. But God’s directions were very different. Therein, I believe, lies an application for our worship (which will not bolster the cause of those who appeal to the OT for present worship). Check out the article, “From Believer to Rebel,” at biblicalnotes.com and leave your feedback here. Am I overstating the case, misapplying the examples, drawing wrong conclusions? Or, is this a powerful point we ought to use with brethren of “liberal” persuasion?
-
Stephen R. Bradd
I like it, Weylan. Good piece. If this is overstating the case, then I guess I’m guilty, too.
http://www.audioevangelism.com/sndwrds/transcripts/SW_2007_09_22_text.htm
-
Eugene Adkins
Interesting way of looking at it.
-
-
Weylan Deaver
Check out Randal’s latest poem at BiblicalNotes.com (whether prose or poetry, his writing does not disappoint).
-
Mike Riley
Yes, Randal is a good poet, no question about it!
-
Don Ruhl
I agree that there is something about Randal’s writing that I always want to check it out, and I am not disappointed. The BrazilianPreacher Dude knows what he is doing.
-
John Henson
I appreciate and value what he does in poetry. There are so few who can write poetry well.
-
J. Randal Matheny
Thank you, gents. You’re too kind by half.
-
-
-
Weylan Deaver
Spent the last two classes introducing the book of Revelation. Tonight at Sherman Drive we will actually start into chapter 1. Looking forward to learning as we go through it. After all, Revelation is God’s last word to the church of Christ before the return of Christ.
Jim, and 
Chester Callan and 
Larry Miles, 
Robert Floyd, and 3 others are discussing. 
Eugene Adkins 6:17 pm on May 16, 2013 Permalink |
What brand of phone is that?
Weylan Deaver 11:59 am on May 20, 2013 Permalink |
It’s an iPhone — maybe not surprising that Apple would do that.