Living in the Millisecond Age

Time was when one had time to reflect and the suggestion, “…Let me think on that…” meant a distinct period of future time.

Not so, today.

We now live in the ultra-fast lane of intimidating milli-seconds.

At our disposal lies Google, Wiki, Twitter, Facebook, etc….what need is there for reflection?

Reflection…what’s the matter with you?

Millennia ago a wisdom writer suggested, “…the heart of the righteous thinks before it speaks…”. Not so today!

Today we have the wisdom of the ages at our fingertips!

So, our “fingertips” make decisions and lo, and behold we find ourselves in a “world of hurt”;’ thank you Bernanke, Geitner, et al!

One wisdom writer also suggested, “…let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak…:”

Would this mentality reigned in our Beltway and among our Elite!

Sadly, this does not seem to be the case. To our beltway Elite we are sheep: to be led, to be led to the shearing, and eventually to the slaughter.

Yeow.

One day, hopefully, some one will read The Politics of Obedience

In terms of Freedom...they do allow us to bleat just prior to the release of their guillotine

Maybe, Maybe Not

Additional comments on The Voice New Testament.

Bottom line: it is still a good read so long as you ignore the commentary in italics within the body of the text. (I still content this will lead to confusion for those new to the Bible. Still, God is sovereign and salvation is His work, not ours.

But, the italicized commentary is potentially confusing to the new Christian as well.

Finished Mark and well into Luke.

Love the fact they translate oikoumene as Roman Empire versus world! Talk about clarity!

But, the translations of "egeirow" in 1 Cor. 15:15, 16, 29, and 42 drive me up the wall. Sigh.

Still reading...

sic et non

The Voice New Testament

“The Voice™ is the product of the best minds in this emerging generation of Christian leaders.” (So notes Amamzon.com in their Editorial review section.)

Have to admit I am a latecomer to this series, now completed as The Voice New Testament.

The editorial review comment on Amazon.com states The Voice to be a new translation of the dynamic equivalent philosophy.

Having received my copy yesterday, I read through Matthew, portions of John, Acts, Romans, 1 & 2 Corinthians. Hebrews, 2 Timothy, 1 & 2 Peter, 1 John, Jude and The Revelation. My plan will be to continue during my morning reading til completed.

To be sure, it is very readable and I found the screen play dialogue format helpful. The side-bar boxes containing informative data are also helpful. Commentary within the context of the passages can be helpful, but also subject to mis-leading, i.e. the reader thinking it to be actually part of the text!

Couple of things bumming me out at this point: changing a noun into a verb in 2 Tim. 4:7. The Voice reads, in part, “…I have kept believing…” when the text says Paul “…kept the faith… (NASB, NIV, ESV, and a host of others).

I understand the concern for gender but fail to grasp why “brothers” in 1 John is translated “brothers and sisters” in most places, and “fathers” is translated as “fathers and mothers”, yet children is not translated as “boys and girls” nor is “young men” translated as “young men and women”. Hey, let’s be consistent in our gender inclusively!

In Matthew: I can’t seem to recall anywhere in the Greek text where John is ever called the teacher or teacher and prophet? Also the sidebar comment about Mary never having kissed a man caught me off guard. How is this ever known? Yeow!

Still, for reading I would class this with The Message, a good read but one to avoid when one is interested in studying the text.

Governmental Compassion

Now, there’s an oxymoron!

A gun to the head of one who seemingly “has”, and the “gunner’s” handout to the one who has not!

The only one who really benefits is the “gunner”: he takes what is yours, gives it to another in need and is thought to be The savior.

In the end, the government gains more power and the “robbed” is rendered more powerless.

We hide such tyranny under the euphemism of “Compassionate Conservatism”.

Give me a break!

Odds are, if the governmental tyrants would leave us, those in need would benefit to a greater extent and experience real compassion.

Duh?

Re-stating the obvious in an engaging and entertaining manner is both an art and a science. In each case, Andy Stanley, IMHO, is a Master Craftsman.

Direction Determines Destination.

Duh?

D³ must be written on our given the Imagio Dei (image of God). Still, time and again we lean on the corrupted heart inherited from Adam rather than disciplines ourselves to orient our lives in harmony with God’s word.

Andy’s use of personal “failings’ and other life experiences seasoned with “salt” and relating to D³ serve to help us say, “Hey, wait a minute! I did that very thing!” or “That’s exactly where I am at this moment!”

Two of Andy’s observations resonated with me as I read: 1) Not being on a Truth Quest and, 2) What you won’t know. The latter observation reminded me of the Apostle Peter’s observation in 2 Peter 3:5 about being “willingly ignorant”. Once that fatal decision is made, the Truth Quest is impossible.

Great read and one to periodically utilize as a refresher for the typical mistakes we tend to make when initially charting a “direction”.

Snuff

When ever I hear Copenhagen, I think of snuff. You know, the crap some folk stuff between their cheek and gum to make them look cool.

Me? It always made me want to puke!

But, hey! Every man to his own poison.

But, today, Copenhagen seems to mean open season on the pocketbook of the American taxpayer.

It's not enough our own government delights in fleecing us, now in the person of Mrs. "Stand By Her Man" seeks to open the door to everyone else.

Laslo Tokes: where are you?

Would you believe it?

Nah!

BDU-you are an alarmest! Go back into your hole!

Yep...sounds like the responses of those in the 1930s to the comments of Adolph, Winston, and Neville!

Yep!

Ecclesiastes 3:15. As the wisdom writer suggested millenia ago...there is nothing new under the sun! Barak, Bush, Clinton simply echo what was asserted/suggested by Xerxes, Ashereus, Nero, et al...adjusted, cosmetically for our era!

The sooner we begin to think principially, the sooner we recognize these clowns for what they say. What they "are", we leave in the hands of the One who knows the heart. For my part, in time, I am left to judge on the basis of words and conduct!

Thankfully, I am able to bring my judgments to a well-tested bar: 2 Cor. 10: 3-5 and Isaiah 8:20.

No longer drifting!