Without considering both testaments, neither can be fully understood in the manner in which God intends them to be understood.
An article in the May 12, 2006, edition of the "Wall Street Journal" reviews a couple of television programs dealing with reproductive technology that show how this technology is presently being used. Prospective parents are coming to the United States to choose sperm and eggs according to the donor's appearance, intelligence, ability in sports, music or other areas of interest. Many are coming from nations that do not allow the level of eugenics offered in the "land of the free." Others who cannot travel to America are turning in orders over the internet. The most popular choice is for blond, blue-eyed white children. Surrogates often have the children for them. One surrogate said of the babies she bears for income stated, "It may sound heartless, but I don't get attached." At some point, God will again look upon mankind as He did at the Tower of Babel and say, "and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do" (Genesis 11:6). At the Tower of Babel, He confounded their languages. We may wonder what He will do to end this renewal of a eugenics program that would have been envied by Adolf Hitler and his compatriots.
A recent study in Finland determined that cert ain kinds of TV viewing caused sleeping disturbances in children. Although all television viewing had some effect on sleeping, the following kinds of viewing disturbed sleep patterns the most in children: watching adult targeted programs, such as current affairs programs, police series, and movies; watching TV alone; watching TV at bedtime (especially caused sleep-wake transition disorders and daytime somnolence); and high levels of passive TV exposure when adult programs were airing. Children sleep better and are more rested when they view less television. Just another great reason to turn off the tube.
Women are developing a taste for violence in their entertainment. Less and less are women put off by violence in their novels and movies. According to a frontpage article in today's Wall Street Journal, women are increasingly drawn to thriller novels where the hero is an assassin or a revenge killer. Women now make up 60% of the audience for the gory "CSI" television franchise that has three different series. Movie houses are also noticing that women make up an increasing percentage of the viewers at recent horror/terror films. Women are losing their squeamish nature when it comes to violence. One of the signs of the days of Noah was that "the earth was filled with violence" (Genesis 6:11). Jesus told us that "as it was in the days of Noe [Noah], so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man" (Luke 17:26).
The following is an excerpt from Soldiers in Training by Brother Daryl Coats.
The August/September, 2006, Newsletter of the Southern View Chapel surveys the doctrinal stands of C. S. Lewis (1899-1963). The popularity of both the fictional and non-fictional works of Lewis is at an unprecedented high. His "Chronicles of Narnia" were just made into a popular film and his praise is almost everywhere acclaimed. Perhaps it would be good to know the theological views of this man. Here are some of them.
The Book of Numbers is a great book when looking for devotional material. In chapters 1-10 the people seem to be wholly following the commandments of the Lord. However, chapter 11 is the beginning of woes. The very first phrase is "And when the people complained, it displeased the Lord". In chapter 12, we find the murmuring moving up the ranks into the leadership and infecting Miriam and Aaron as they murmur against Moses. In chapter 13, ten of the twelve spies come back with an evil report concerning the land of promise. In chapter 14, we find the people wanting to make a captain to return to Egypt and then wanting to stone Joshua and Caleb for their report of faith. This chapter includes the decision of the Israelites not to go into the land of promise, and then their decision to go into the land of promise after the Lord told them they could no longer go in. The Israelites decide to go against the commandments of the Lord and try to take the land of Canaan on their own, only to be smitten by the Amalekites and Canaanites.
Tuesday's "Wall Street Journal" reviews a book called "A Perfect Mess" written by Eric Abrahamson and David Freedman. It makes a case that messiness has its purposes and is not always superior to neatness. This is appealing to me--one who has always struggled with messy desk syndrome. On one occasion I was pointedly told that my messy desk was a sign of a lazy Southerner and it was evidence for my lack of accomplishing much with my life. Ouch! That hurt. Why not just press the blade into my stomach and twist?
Mathematics can be quite complex, yet one of the most basic divisions of mathematics is called arithmetic. You may better grasp what I am talking about when I say that the most basic operations of arithmetic are addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. A grasp of these basic operations is a necessity for anyone who desires to grasp any of the more complex divisions of mathematics. Interestingly enough, the same things hold true for the Christian life. It can be quite complex, but at the same time we could break it down to the simplicity of addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division.
What does it mean to exercise faith? Is it praying about something and doing nothing until the answer comes? Is it foolishly walking through life with absolutely no answers?
