BLOG DESCRIPTION UPDATE

In order to continue providing you my readers with, well, continuous improvement, I revised my blog's description (see above).  I figure I can blog about any major cosmetic changes I make so we can both reflect on where we have been and where we are going.

AT THE FOOT OF THE CROSS

I have changed my blog's header to reflect a new image which I created from a photo I took in San Diego while on vacation. It was at a landmark whose name escapes me.

It certainly reflects my worldview. Or it should.

EXPLORING A PARALLEL UNIVERSE

The alternative to seeking employment at a "company" is working for yourself.  In my case, that would be an alternative universe-- a "pipe dream" -- a fantasy worthy of its expending my mental energy when the prospects of getting something I can do for a living seem bleak at best.

Welcome to the world of web design! It is a world in which its citizens explore the possibilities of an alternate universe of autonomy, or self-rule (limited by reality).

JUST CHECKING IN

A blog is a journal, of sorts. It is an online window to the soul of the writer. A blogger must come up with something worthwhile and substantial to blog about, or he perish.

More to come...

HERE I STAND

Though with fear and trepidation, I post this brief article as a herald to the New Reformation of the Christian Church on the subject of eschatology.

Just as the cry of Martin Luther in 1517 was, "the just shall live by faith"(Habakkuk 2:4), so the cry of 2012 shall be, "This generation shall not pass away until all these things take place."(Matthew 24:34)

This is a "time statement" in the New Testament worthy of all acceptance.

COSMETIC TWEAKS

Today finds me tweaking my blog's appearance while listening to AD70.net radio. I think I am pleased with it enough to leave it alone for now.

THE BOOK OF REVELATION "DATING GAME"

It seems that The Venerable Bede, of Old English fame, favored a "later date" of 84 A.D. (later than the early date of the 60's A.D., but earlier than the official  "late date" of 95 A.D.) for the writing of the Book of Revelation by the Apostle John.  You may find Bede's reference to this in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle at The Gutenberg Project.

This throws a bolt, rather than a "wrench," into the full preterist machine. I consider myself a FP, in that I believe Jesus' prophecies regarding the end or destruction of the Old Covenant were fulfilled in 70 A.D.

Therefore, I highly doubt that there will be a future coming in judgment on the earth by Christ because I have been looking at the preterist interpretation of these events. Their fulfillment eliminates all futurist speculations about everything in the Book of Revelation. That is what appeals to me about it (Harold Camping and others notwithstanding).

Of course, let us not go beyond what Holy Scripture says, and presume that God is "done" with everything else in the world.

He isn't!

14 But as for you, zcontinue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom1 you learned it 15 and how afrom childhood you have been acquainted with bthe sacred writings, cwhich are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16 dAll Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that ethe man of God1 may be complete, fequipped gfor every good work.(II Peter 3:14-17 ESV)

PRAYER

It seems reasonable to me to:
  
   a) try Blogger's new interface
   b) pray to God all the time
   c) blog about praying

...because I am sitting here blogging instead of praying!

GOT 1:19:58?

I know.  It is a cheesy title for a blog post.

But I wanted to post a link to a long video I watched (after watching all of Don Preston's most recent videos on YouTube-- whew!).  Here it is:

A Primer On Preterism (Pastor Alan Bondar)

And here is the video!




If you have some time, and you have been sufficiently "brainwashed" (hee hee), then most of this video will make sense to you.

SAVE THE DATE

Well, here we go!  July 19-21, 2012!

Time limits me from elaborating.  But suffice it to say I am interested in this debate between postmillenialism and preterism.  Both are to be properly understood. Perhaps it is all academic.  But are we not called to "reason together" with our Creator?

I knew you would agree.



Of course, you may also visit Don's websites (Eschatology.org and BibleProphecy.com) as well as his YouTube channel.

FEAR OF THE UNKNOWN

(Peter Ramirez: taken from Seal Tour boat, San Diego, CA)

Sometimes, blogging can feel like a stab in the dark.  I wonder if anyone reads it.

Still, angels and demons alike can read it (I have yet to receive any feedback from either... :)

Oh, oh!

PRESSURE MAKES US CHRISTLIKE (I HOPE)

The daily demands of simple caregiving for my parents can be taxing.  They can take their toll, along with the anxieties and concerns over many opportunities arising out of other things in life which God gives me (and allows).

The above video has absolutely, positively nothing to do with that.  But I wanted to post something visual to enhance the post.

REALITY HITS YOU HARD, BRO!

Power Lines Fall on Crashed Vehicle, Driver Trapped: MyFoxPHOENIX.com

9-11 TRUTH MOVEMENT

Well, let me just say, first of all, that I am happy to try Blogger's new blog editor interface-- which you cannot see (heh, heh!).

Secondly, I want to post a link to the best defense of the 9-11 Truth Movement I have seen to date.

ALIVE AND BLOGGING

That's right!  You guessed it! It's time for me to post another blog entry for cyber-posterity!  Another stab at digital glory gone awry (maybe).  To what do I owe this bit of inspiration, this flash-in-the-pan flight of fancy?

Hurry, my ego is deflating!

Oh, well. I thought I would say more.  But alas, it's bedtime...

Zzzzz...

ISLAMIC TERRORISM BY THE NUMBERS

For some unexplainable reason, I have been inspired to install a widget on my blog which tracks Islamic terrrorist attacks.  It is available from TheReligionOfPeace.com.  Here it is.

You may also view this handy widget down below this page on the right side.  God save us in Jesus name, amen!

PRETERISM SIMPLY EXPLAINED

The Destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD (David Roberts)

Here is a link to PreteristRadio.com, which leads to an archive of preterist-related podcasts for your exploratory pleasure. Also, there is the preterist viewpoint explained here. with more podcasts here.

Incidentally, it is now May 27, 2015. I know not if Blogger will update the time stamp automatically when I finish updating this post (which was originally posted July 29, 2011 at 9:19 am).

[Editor's Note: it did not :-) ]

I truly hope this helps people understand the concept of fulfilled or covenant eschatology.  I know it sounds and looks heretical.  But I think I am on solid ground based on Jesus' own words:

"Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass way until all these things [mentioned in the Olivet Discourse] take place ."(Matthew 24:34)

HELP! MY BLOG DESCRIPTION COLOR IS HARD TO SEE!!!

Alright. I was tinkering with the advanced template editor and changed the blog description color to something a little less visible--by accident, and now I can't change it back to a darker, more visible color.

Help!

[P.S. I fixed this by changing the text color in the Advanced tab of the Template Designer in Blogger today 7/29.]

NAMELESS PLUG

Today's post is brought to you by Firefox!  This is a shameless plug, indeed.  But then, this is a shameless blog!  Or at least, it should be. ;)

Now, I am seeing a pattern here: three blog posts in a row about-- you guessed it-- blogging.  This can only mean one of two things (or three): I don't have a point; or I have one, but I haven't figured out what it is yet.

Either way, pity the reader. Consider this blog post "breaking the ice," "clearing the cobwebs," and "greasing the skids."

What else can it be?

Perhaps web design awaits...

DEATH IN A FLASH

Oh, oh! Rumblings of doubt have surfaced in my heart about web design as a vocation.

I had a flash of inspiration to continue pursuing it by visiting W3Schools.com.  But alas, my flash died.

Yet, it is still fun to blog because, on a very basic level, I can do "what I want" and still "look good!" :)

Meanwhile, try watching James White defending Calvinism.  Nobody wields the sword of apologetics like Dr. White.

WEB DESIGN, ANYONE?

I am blogging about my career-move-on-hold called web design, which I have taken online classes for. I have completed a project for a client since then, but have had to postpone any further work because of family-related reasons.

I should visit W3Schools.com to polish-- if not learn-- my new skills, hmmm?

Or I could just keep blogging because I want to. It is way too easy to be "distracted," especially on YouTube!

COLD-BLOGGING ABOUT A HOT TOPIC

What is cold-blogging? Maybe another way to say it is "blogging blind." It's when you start out to compose a blog post without first looking at your blog to get a feel for what it looks like or says that day. Yes, it is that easy to forget what you blogged about the day before-- or even earlier that day, but not likely.

I do want to get back to my discussion of what Dr. James White (and others) say about preterism (and preterists). Suffice it to say I will get back to his comments, which I disagree with because I am a Christian who believes what he believes.  The exception is that the "Second Coming of Christ" already happened, but not in the classic, mainstream, doctrinally popular way.

I really hate to be a kill-joy, a stick in the mud, a contrarian (well, sometimes), and a "heretic."  It's not fun to be anathematized, condemned, and warned about falling away (especially when you don't even want to).

Gee whiz, futurists, lighten up!  The more you guys (futurists) condemn us preterists, the more we want to flee the "crackling thorns" (Ecclesiastes 7:6) of your criticism.

Another sense in which I am "cold-blogging" or blogging "blind" is that I intend to complete this blog entry and  post it without previewing it using Google Blogger's cool Preview feature.

In the words of that great bastion of theological integrity, The Tonight Show: More To Come...

BE WELL-READ

I cannot think of more valuable advice at the moment than that. Be well-read. Grab any book, magazine, or newspaper article you want and read it! Feed your soul!

Now that that's off my chest, I can focus on my previous subject matter: James White's warning to those who believe Jesus meant "this generation!"(Matthew 24:34)

I really hate to disappoint Dr. White, and any other opponent of preterism.  But the more they condemn us, anathematize us, and so on, the more I feel led to investigate its claims, read its main proponents (Don Preston, Ed Stevens, et al), listen to and watch its audio and video presentations, and consider it a viable if not only sane/reasonable option!

Someone help us out!

I am overwhelmed when I think of the Scriptures that clearly teach "the end of the age" as the end of the Old Covenant world of Jewish religion and life in favor of a "better way."(Hebrews 7:22)

CLASSIC DISTORTION OF PRETERISM

Dear Lord Jesus, please let this video-embed code work!!! Amen



Whew! Thank you, Lord.

With that, I bring you a video slam from Dr. James White aimed at us preterists who are seeking the Truth in all of Scripture-- not just in that which lines up with church history, the creeds, and my home congregation, etc.

I want to transcribe and comment on this video because it is so classic a caricature of preterist thinking that I can refute its validity, point by emotion-driven point. I have the highest respect for Dr. White-- except when he slams me/us like this.


Begin transcript:

Caller:  “Brother, how you doin’?”

JW: “Doing good.”

Caller:  “You are already aware, I think, of the question I’m going to ask you. I was concerned about a verse in Luke 21:22, where Jesus says, ‘because these are days of vengeance, so that all things which are written will be fulfilled,’ considering these questions that His disciples have just asked Him about His Second Coming.  I just wonder if you could maybe explain to me what the Lord meant when He’s saying—especially where He uses the words ‘all things which are written will be fulfilled.’  Is this simply to the destruction of Jerusalem?”

JW:  “Yeah, well, look at the context. It’s always good to avoid looking at a part of a sentence (laughs), because the sentence starts in verse 21, ‘Then those who are in Judea must flee to the mountains, and those who are in the midst of the city must leave, and those who are in the country must not enter the city because these are days of vengeance, so that all things which are written will be fulfilled.  Woe to those who are pregnant, and to those who are nursing babies in those days, for there will be great distress upon the land and wrath to this people, and they will fall by the edge of the sword and be led captive into all the nations.  And Jerusalem will be trampled underfoot by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentles are fulfilled.’ Of course, that phrase, ‘times of the Gentiles’ goes back to Daniel 8 and the issues related there, too.  

So, if your question, if your concern, is that hon ta ta ge gramena “all things which have been written” means a fulfillment of all prophecy, well, given that there is a specific subject under discussion, that would be an unwarranted leap.  If I’m talking about the birth of Christ, alright?  If I’m talking about the incarnation in Bethlehem, and I say, we see here that all things which are written concerning the Messiah were fulfilled, I’m not, by saying that, ignoring the cross or ignoring the resurrection or ignoring the Second Coming or anything else.  I’ve already defined my categories by what I’m saying in regards to the topic that’s under discussion.”

Caller:  “Right. It’s just the issue right here immediately that He’s speaking of.”

JW:  “Well, yeah. I mean, that would be the natural way to take what He is saying. It would be very unnatural to take anyone who is talking about a specific subject and think that when they say, ‘all things which are written,’ oh, that means every prophecy about everything, including Second Coming or incarnation or cross or whatever.  No, it’s defined by the context in which it’s being discussed.  This is another—this would actually be one example which you could use in talking really to anyone about where pas pas hupon, ‘all things,’ has to be defined by the context in which it’s used.”

Caller:  “Right. In other words, the ‘all’ is limited--”

JW:  “By the context.”

Caller:  “--according to the context.”

JW:  “Oh, yeah, sure.”

Caller:  “I go to a church that is reformed in its soteriology. But it is futurist in its eschatology.  Like most churches with new visitors, you run into a kaleidoscope of people with differing beliefs.  Recently, I’ve talked with a fellow that’s extremely erudite, much more so than I. But he considers himself a preterist.”

JW:  “Okay.”

Caller:  “Do preterists—or, at least, do some preterists, believe that Jesus actually returned—“

JW:  “Yes.”

Caller:  “--in the Roman armies, and that He was invisible?”

JW:  “Yeah. What you’re, what would normally, historically what you’re discussing here is called ‘pantellism’ from pas pas hupon, from a text like this.  All things have already been fulfilled.  We are already in the eternal state.  The Second Coming took place in A.D.70.  The resurrection took place in A.D.70.  Everything was fulfilled at that point.  Now, I don’t know about you, but if this is the eternal state, I’ve got some real problems!”

Caller:  “I think that’s error.”

JW:  “No, it’s not just error. It’s heresy because it ends up denying the—many of these end up denying the physical nature of the resurrection of Jesus, and they end up with all sorts of problems.  There’s a book which we probably should carry but don’t. But you can find it online I’m sure.  And I was looking at it yesterday, because I was digging through all of my boxes looking for a particular book and of course, guess where was it?  The last box I looked at!  Of course, where else would it be?  An hour worth of just looking for one book.  And I’m—“

Caller:  “Thinking of the title.”

JW:  “Yeah, I can see the book and I—oh, the fellow works for Ligonier Ministries.  Doggone it!  ‘When Shall These Things Come to Pass,’ I think is what it was called.”

Caller:  “Okay.”

JW:  “Um, oh, drat it all!  Maybe somebody in channel, uh…  Yes!  Mathison, thank you.  Yes, ‘hopester’ up in Idaho just saved me.  Keith Mathison…”

Caller:  “Keith Mathison, yeah.”

JW:  “Keith Mathison has written a book on the subject of what I would prefer calling hyper-preterism, because there is partial preterism, which would be more the standard Reformed viewpoint, that certain elements of Matthew 24, Luke 21, are fulfilled in the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D.70—but not all. To say that everything [is fulfilled] becomes hyperpreterism. 

Caller:  “Right.”

JW:  “So, there’s a real dividing line, and unfortunately, individual writers and people like that are not necessarily overly consistent in their utilization of the language.  So, preterists who are actually hyper-preterists will simply call themselves preterists, and partial-preterists will call themselves preterists.  And so it can be very, very confusing.”

Caller:  “Right.”

JW:  “And it’s, to be honest with you, is an area that is-- I would say there’s a number of areas in systematic theology that would keep me from ever writing a book on systematic theology because I just don’t enjoy the discussion of them.  And this would be one of them, and that’s why I would refer you to something like Keith Mathison’s book on that particular subject to provide you with a good response.”

Caller:  “Don’t these folks have some real problems, though, with a text of Scripture like, you know, even in this passage. I mean, right when it describes the Second Coming, it talks about the signs in the sun and the moon and the stars? I mean, these supernatural events…”

JW:  “They would actually connect those to Old Testament prophecies in reference to limited judgments upon Israel in the past.”

Caller:  “Uh huh.”

JW:  “Believe me, once you accept the overarching interpretive hermeneutic of hyper-preterism, they can come up with an answer for anything.”

Caller:  “Yeah.”

JW:  “The problem is, the result is, something that has almost no resemblance to historic, Biblical Christianity at all.  It’s really a mess. So, I would refer you to Mathison before I end up saying things that I would probably…”

Caller:  “It’s called, ‘When Shall These Things Come?’ ”

JW:  “Um, you know, all you’d have to do is Google “keith mathison” or Amazon “keith mathison.” I think that was the title.  But, off the top of my head, I wouldn’t be able to give you the specific title.”

Caller:  “You know, Dr. White, it’s amazing how intelligent that someone can sound, and how well-read that they can be…” 

JW:  (laughs)

Caller:  “…and yet, I mean, because, you know, I don’t feel like I’m that much of an intellectual when it comes to these things.  I have to read—you know, it amazes me how you remember so many-- you must have a brain like a big hard drive on a computer, because I can’t remember this stuff without it in front of me. But yet, it’s just like you said, I mean, here I’ve got a really nice guy, this guy’s a really wonderful guy—“

JW:  “Yeah.”

Caller:  “Very intelligent sounding. But yet, you know, according-- you just called him a heretic!”

JW:  “Well, yeah, you got to remember something.  First of all…”

Caller:  “That’s not the first time I’ve heard that said about preterism!”

JW:  “First of all, it’s called, “When Shall These Things Be: A Reformed Response to Hyperpreterism.”  It’s on Amazon for $12.59.  I just popped it up real quick.”

Caller:  “Great.”

JW:  “Secondly, remember, heresy is not a matter—okay, let me back up.  Heresy is not always a matter of intellect.  In fact, while heresy often is due to a lack of teaching—Scripture talks about, you know, watch your doctrine, and those who are untaught and unstable.  But, you see, you can be taught and unstable, and still fall into error. In fact, knowledge puffs up, and when someone becomes puffed up, to the point where they are unwilling to be corrected, or think that they can see things no one else has ever, ever, ever seen in the text of Scripture…”

Caller:  “Right.”

JW:  “That’s always a danger.  And let’s, let’s, let’s-- I’m going to be very honest here, and, folks, if anyone misrepresents me on this, and misquotes me on this, there’s nothing I can do about it.  But there is a danger amongst Reformed people to get into these kinds of things, because they start realizing, they start seeing the connections in Scripture about certain doctrines, and all of a sudden they start, they get on their hobby horse and start running.  If they’re not grounded in a good church, if they’re not grounded in teaching, if they’re not grounded in ministering to the saints, and things like that, they can become so puffed up and arrogant in their thinking, that they end being succeptible to all sorts of stuff like this.

"There is a balance that must be maintained. The Scriptures tell us that we must love the truth. That means loving all of the truth. We can, in our arrogance, endanger our own souls by not having the balance that we need to have in being a part of the church, and ministering to others and sometimes intellectuals think that this might be just a little bit below them.”

End of transcript

GETTING ESCHATOLOGY RIGHT (AND WRONG)

I am listening to free podcasts of RC Sproul teaching his series of lectures called, "The Last Days According to Jesus." Now, who does NOT want to understand this subject with a title like that?  Any Christian worth his "salt" SHOULD try to do so!

Well, I have been getting educated on the partial and full ("hyper") preterist views of eschatology by way of Dr. Sproul.

Listen to his teaching, "The Book of Revelation" for an excellent presentation of the case for an "early dating" of Revelation.

POST-MILLENNIAL PRETERIST

Well, well, well. It looks like the full (Biblical) preterist view of the millennium postulates an interpretation of 40 years, i.e., the transition period from Jesus' earthly ministry to the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple in 70 A.D.

Does this mean I am a post-millennial preterist who believes in a first-century physical rapture?

Yes...

CARE AND FEEDING OF A WEBLOG

CONGRATULATIONS!!!  It's a blog!!!

Now that you have registered your account with Blogger.com, or some other blogging website, you can visit and post almost any content (within reason).  But what to blog about? That is the perennial question lurking in the back of your (and my) mind...

I still maintain that my blog is a Seinfeld-esque, blog-about-nothing! The nice thing is, you can link anything to "nothing" and come up with something!

"I think you may have something here."(Jerry Seinfeld)

OPERA NOT WITH THE PROGRAM

I thought I would leave this bit of punnery in the title to attract attention to today's post. I have been browsing the Internet with Opera, and I noticed it does not support HTML5 and/or CSS3.

How do I know? Because Google's(?) beautiful template for my blog is minimally evident in the basic colors and rudimentary design elements showing with Opera rendering the page. This is in remarkable contrast to the truly stunning rendering by, say, Internet Explorer 9, which does justice to the current web design standards.

Well, as computer technology would have it,  I spoke too soon, because now Opera is rendering the page just fine.  I guess it pays to be patient.

ALEX JONES SUMS UP 9/11

Before I go to bed, here is a video I watched and liked a lot. I seem to have needed an "Alex Jones fix" tonight!

Anyway, enjoy.

"PRETERISM" ON ONEPLACE.COM? :)

I took a stab in the proverbial dark and visited OnePlace.com for some good, sound Biblical teaching. I found--somehow-- this: "The End Times According to the Bible" with Ed Budd.  So far, I like what I hear!

For more of his ministry's teaching, see the archives.

PODCAST PONDERINGS

Just for fun, I thought I would post a link to my comment on a podcast at  AD70.net called "Two Guys and a Bible." Since this is a blog, and not Facebook, I will elaborate ad nauseum. Or not.

Right now I am listening to the podcast from January 18, 2011. For a little encouragement in your own preterist leanings (you know you have them :), listen to it and read lots of articles addressing "the spread of Covenant Eschatology." (Don Preston)

OPEN SEASON ON "OPEN FORUM"

Our old buddy Harold Camping is at it again, and again, and again...

It seems he has admitted "mathematical error" in his calculations for the end-of-the-world effective date, as usual.    Oh, but he has found out that the world will end October 21... maybe.  He could be wrong (again), you know.

If it were not for these and all the other ne'er-do-wells in the world today, we would be a sorry lot-- bored out of our minds, with nearly perfect lifestyles and overflowing self-righteousness. Thanks, Mr. Camping, for giving us, Christians and non-Christians alike, something to talk about. Really!

But I digress. False teachers and crooked salesmen always repeat themselves, using different words. They inspire, in an unfavorable way, "the rest of us" to  look hard at ourselves and our beliefs in order to come up with something more solid than the thin air of falsehood that almost-- or already has -- sucked us in.

GET READY

The nice thing about blogging is you can post a link to something which you are interested in, and hope someone "out there" in cyberspace can relate to it and comment on it as well.

Such is the case with the "end of the world" predictions which crop up every now and then.

Now we have another case in point: Harold Camping and his perennial Bible-twisting doctrinal nightmares, also known as false teachings. Mr. Camping has once again "predicted" the Second Coming of Jesus Christ and the end of the "universe" (see video in linked story).

I can assure you, and myself, that God will not destroy the universe on Saturday. I have been exploring, along with a friend of mine who has been following this "wild goose chase" longer than I have, a theological construct of the end-times called preterism. 


Today's headlines about the end of the world are the reason I consider the strong possibility that we have been wrong all this time about it. Jesus came back in 70 A.D., just as He said He would. We are the beneficiaries of His finished work (sinless life, atoning death, triumphal resurrection from the dead, and judgment on all His enemies). He came then to destroy the old world, or Old Covenant (Testament) with its temple and sacrifices -- which could never take away sins (Hebrews 10:11), to bring the New Covenant into full swing.

More to come about this...

ANOTHER FINE POST...

As many of my intrepid readers (both of you) know, I like to occasionally blog for blogging's sake. This is a sure sign of my narcissistic tendency to think I have a culturally relevant blog (I do! I mean, with a name like "Worldview Window," how can it not be relevant?).

As I was saying (or not saying), I like to blog recreationally. That means, of course, that any worthwhile discourse is cast aside in favor of hot air and wasted cyberspace, much like you see here (worthwhile discourse, that is :)

Much like the Greek mythological Narcissus, who fell in love with his own reflection in a pool of water, I too have fallen prey to the allure of self-inflicted fame (not fortune) through blogging.

I still maintain the idea that this is a "blog about nothing" (a la Jerry Seinfeld).

ALEX JONES

While channeling my inner conspiracy-theorist this evening, I decided to visit Alex Jones online at Prison Planet for his take on the whole death-of-Osama (not Obama!)-Bin-Laden. Having looked at his site for other conspiracy fodder (anyone remember 9/11? New World Order? JFK?), I thought it might be worth my time and energy to listen and see what he had posted.

He did not disappoint. Go there, and here.

REFTAGGER

For the uninitiated, RefTagger is the cool feature of Christian websites where pointing the mouse at a Scripture reference brings up a pop-up box with the actual Scripture itself. Pretty cool stuff!

Watch this (mouse over/hover): John 3:16


You get the idea. Here is the website for RefTagger.

BLOG PRACTICE

Once again, I am venturing into dangerous waters when I begin a blog post without a clearly defined goal or motive. I am running on sheer talent, as it were.

Which brings me to my next thought or statement (such as it is): how can I bring this post to a cogent and coherent close without losing 90% of my readers (both of you) in the process. Here is how: by simply keeping you enrapt in suspense as I figure out just what the heck I want to blog about.

But that is my point! If I keep typing for typing's sake, or in this case, blogging for blogging's sake, then maybe I will arrive at some destination-- a point at which I may share some profound nugget of wisdom that I stumbled upon as I was typing (in this case, blogging)..

I think I have succeeded at "blogging for blogging's sake" par excellence. I have concluded this blog post without having declared any real statement of value or worth with reference to any real-life significance or relevance.

Well, this brings me to my conclusion, such as it is, as it were.

MARTY ANGELO IS BACK

First of all, thank you for visiting my blog. It is an ongoing fantasy of mine (to borrow a phrase from Pastor Emeritus Darryl Delhousaye of Scottsdale Bible Church) that someone else reads my blog besides me .

I am listening to a podcast on AD70.net called, "Once Life Matters," with Marty Angelo, which aired on April 20.  I am glad to see Marty is back on Preterist Radio.

BOOKMARK

As an added benefit to blogging, you can "bookmark" a great link to some content which you think you will revisit later by posting it.

Today's blog post is a link to an audio file I am playing as I type this. It is a sermon by David Curtis on Mark 13:26-27 called "Christ's Cloud Coming."

ANOTHER CASUALTY IN THE ROB BELL BOMBSHELL

Well, intrepid readers of other people's blogs (OPB), it is with no small measure of concern that I post this the latest tragedy in American Christian theology: the departure of another pastor from historic Christianity. It seems the vortex of universalist error created by you-know-who (Rob Bell) has sucked one more well-meaning victim of bad exegesis (interpretation drawn from Scripture) of John 3:16 into its lofty clutches.

Not wanting to name the pastor in this post, I refer you to the story with the link here.

And here: "Who's In Hell? Pastor's Criticism of Eternal Torment for Some Sparks Fierce Debate" (FoxNews)

I deduce from this and other stories lately in my daily perusal of the Internet that the popular meaning poured into John 3:16 is the cause for much misunderstanding of who God will save.

Let me try to summarize the argument for its proper exegesis: In this way, God demonstrated His love for all the nations of people: He gave His only begotten Son, that all those believing will not perish, but have eternal life.


I also think of Jesus' own words, "whosoever will may come," and this verse warrants exegesis as well. My preliminary investigation yielded "the" or "those" who are willing.  Watching the John 3:16 video will help you, as it did me, to remember the proper Biblical interpretation and avoid the temptation to think that God will save everyone, if only they will believe!

Not wanting to stir controversy or dissension, I think reinforcing our Scriptural knowledge is helpful for when challenges such as this come along.

Stay tuned.

GOD'S WORD WINS

In the parlance of Twitter, this would be a "re-tweet" -- a re-post of some very pertinent material to the reader at the moment. Such is this post: a quote from an initial reading of Kevin DeYoung's review of Rob Bell's book, "Love Wins." It drives the point home-- a nail, as it were, in the coffin of aberrant theology:

"The emerging church is not an evangelistic strategy. It is the last rung for evangelicals falling off the ladder into liberalism or unbelief."

(from DeYoung's "God Is Still Holy and What You Learned in Sunday School Is Still True: A Review of Love Wins by Rob Bell")

I must credit Pastor Jake Johnson of Redemption Church for this link.  He posted it in his blog.

A rising tide of response to the "bombshell" dropped by this high-profile, respected and much-followed theologian/pastor (Bell) is indeed coming and here.  I am glad to come across these responses from other equally respected pastors and commentators.

God's Word always wins.

HEARTWARMING VIDEO

Here is a video clip from the Israeli Defense Force on YouTube.  It is an example of the "eternal vigilance" by the IDF and their government to ensure the prevention of anti-Israel terrorism. 

Enjoy.

RE-POST

I just added some more content to my post about "Body vs. Bodies," regarding Philippians 3:20-21. You can read it here.

MyBlogAddiction.Com

Well, the first thing to do when you confront your own personal "demons" of blog envy, blog addiction, and blog withdrawal (part of the solution) is to admit it. These categories of psychological dysfunction frequently manifest themselves as altruistic motives, artistic creativity, and literary license-- not to mention worldview promotion and awareness...

Did I say I was in recovery?

Anyway, the whole point of blogging is to find an outlet for your own literary creativity, and to publish it as a risky venture toward fame and fortune. But that's not why I blog!

No, siree. I blog because I am, because I can, and because I must (and should). It is the only sane means of digesting the zeitgeist (spirit of the age) around us, given the innumerable channels of communication which have opened up recently to the 21st century, new world citizen. It is where I find a safe place to wax eloquent when no one else is around.

When a tree falls in the forest, does it make a sound if no ear is there to hear it?

Wait! I hear something...

SEARCH BOX RESULTS

I was pondering the Philippians passage (3:20-21)where Paul talks about "our lowly body" (not "bodies") and Christ's "glorious body." Thanks to Blogger's search box tool, I was able to "recall" where I had blogged about this-- particularly the phrase "lowly bodies."

I will post a link to that post here.

BLOGGER.COME ON!

I know it's early to be blogging (7:34am).  But I got up early after a minor bout with asthma and a not-so-good night's sleep.  I have taken my supplements, natural remedies, and prescription meds. But I just had to blog about something!

So, here I go. It seems that every time I open Blogger, I get a different font in my blog title, namely, Worldview Window. I won't complain too much because as long as it's reasonably legible and stylish (to my liking), I will be fine with it.

Perhaps it is because I like the "new" Blogger so much that I find every opportunity to blog about something, even if it's nothing to blog about-- or blog at. Perhaps it is good practice. Perhaps it is not. One thing is certain: having run and walked a lot yesterday (for recreation and health), and having gotten a lot done for my parents and my car, I feel a little blogging is in order.

With that, I must get on with the day's business at hand, and continue in my venture for work in web design.

But first, the news...

BLOGGING A BLANK

With all the hoopla in world events going on, I wonder how I might scratch the itch to blog today. Better leave the post till tomorrow. Otherwise I might be extracting my foot from my mouth in the morning.

QUIRKY GOOGLE CHROME

Well, my praises for Google's Chrome web browser must be tempered by my finding a quirk (a software glitch which creates a persistent irregularity in the graphical user interface) in its rendering of my blog today.

The blog's title ("Worldview Window") is rendered wider than its allotted header space.  No problem. I'll just reduce the size of the font and move on.

Not only that, but the tsunami video I posted earlier today will not load now in Chrome. 

Oh , well.

VIDEO OF TSUNAMI

PRESIDENTIAL TRUMP CARD

For the record, let me throw my vote out there for Mr. Donald Trump, entrepreneur extraordinaire and tough-talking patriot. He puts his money where his mouth is. He is not all rhetoric. He has "gotten it done" in the business world. He is willing to back the military financially and "build the United States."

With words like these, I find myself secretly hoping he can get it done. If I am wrong, I am wrong. But a commoner like me can dream of a better national future with a leader with intestinal (and other) fortitude, can he not?

WORLDVIEW VENT

I want to "vent" today because I feel my "dream"/career aspirations of learning and doing well in web design and other computer programming possibilities is being threatened by my own fear of man.

Do I ever get tired of doing the right thing? May it never be.  But I am haunted by the specter of employment in the same venues as I have been in. Not that I have been in appalling conditions by any standard, but certainly comfortable. 

I do not wish to ruminate indefinitely about my vocation. But web design is a particularly viable option if I am willing to go there. It answers to every rational conclusion as to why or why not. 

One reason among many is that I relish the thought of self-employment. Perhaps it is a selfish desire, a backlash, if you will, against the economic uncertainty of the times we live in. But it is never a bad idea.

The question is, is it right for me? The answer scares me.  I hope it is.

CHROME SHINES

How could I not introduce a new blog post on this same subject (see last post) without inserting a corny title? You know me better than that.

Well, I just wanted to blog in Chrome because it does such a wonderful job of not screwing up the formatting like IE9RC (see previous post) !!! Sorry, my impartiality slipped a little there.

SOME IE9 QUIRKS

This is a test post to see if Internet Explorer 9 (Release Candidate 9.0.8080.16413, to be exact :) allows me (yet) to "bold" my font on blogger.com. It seemed like the last time I used IE9, certain formatting buttons would not function at all, or incorrectly.

Well, I'm giving IE9RC another shot! Wow, it works!!! OK, I had to use the keyboard.

Now let's try underlining...yup. OK, I had to use the keyboard again. If I use the formatting buttons here on Blogger, IE9RC causes the cursor to jump to another location and skip formatting altogether. Some release candidate! Just kidding (sort of).

Colored font? Here is the key: Select the color you want before typing. You cannot select text to change its color after you have typed it. Done!

Here is the scoop in a nutshell: Color your font before typing when using IE9RC. You can select text after typing to bold, italicize, and underline-- but not color. This is for IE9 only!  Clear? Also, consider the background color(s) of your blog. This may cause difficulty reading too similar or clashing colored font/backgrounds.

My other concern is seeing all of my previous posts for the last 7-ish years in this template! Whoa! Can I read all of it? We'll see...

IE9RC is quirky. I just tried formatting this text with the buttons: no go. Keyboard shortcuts work, however. This combination of functionality/nonfunctionality can be frustrating. Go back to Chrome (http://chrome1.net/), et al, for this quirk to be non-existent.

Questions? Comments. Have a nice session!

TIME TO BLOG ABOUT SOMETHING

All right, the planets have lined up once again, prompting me (somehow) to blog-- just like my twin brother! The trick about blogging is getting to the point where you feel strongly enough about something to want to blog (i.e., write online in your own personal forum). Somehow, by God's grace, that inspiration of sorts carries you through the end of the post (blog entry).

After changing (improving) the appearance of this blog recently-- by way of Blogger's new templates and features (thank you, HTML5 and CSS3!!!)--I felt compelled and inspired to write... er, I mean, blog about something.

I think it would be a good idea if, before the end of this post, I reveal to you, dear reader, what that something is. But I digress.

Really!

DANGER: POINTLESS POST AHEAD...

It is a dangerous thing to blog without a point, a reason to vent, a source of inspiration. Why?  Because, on a day like today, when it is more of a diary than a blog, I may engage in self-talk rather than a discussion, as it were.

Kind of like hitting a few tennis balls around...

FOLLOW-UP

Well, I just watched said-video (see previous post below). I cannot embed it here, so you will have to (or, you may want to) watch it over there.

Let me just conclude by quoting what I find to be a hilariously funny description by Justin Taylor (author of said blog in previous post) of Rob Bell as being "studiously ambiguous in terminology." Having seen his videos in meetings at church, I can fully attest to this unvarnished truth! I have never read or heard a better way to describe his teaching style.

That is a classic case of an intellectually honest assessment. Justin is being charitable here, as we all should be. That is the hilarity of it! Rather than engaging in emotional name-calling, Taylor calls it like he and most people see it.

Thanks, Justin.

THE POWER OF SOCIAL NETWORKING

Holy cow! (A good former Roman Catholic can say that guiltlessly.)  But I digress.

I want to state somehow the vast importance of Internet communication, particularly social networking (Twitter, Facebook, email, and blogs).  This is how many beliefs are discovered, cultivated, and, when necessary, abandoned.

Here is the path I followed to find a seismic issue brewing among the Christian community in real life and cyberspace: universalism. Not only that, but a universalism seemingly promoted if not taught or embraced by a leading preacher in the Christian world: Rob Bell.

I am not willingly engaging in name-dropping/name-calling or whatever. But I feel I am standing on good, solid ground when I post these links to show you how I found a very hot issue - hell - at the very core of his and others' error, namely, that there is no such thing.

I want to retrace my "steps" from my email alert that my income tax return had been accepted, and that I could "tweet" and "Facebook" my glee for all the world to see how TaxACT Online got me there!

Naturally, I clicked on both links, the one leading to Facebook, and the other leading to... Twitter! Here, I found among my tweets one from someone who posted a link to "The Lesson of David Swing." This blog post is about false teaching in the church, and has a link to "information" about Rob Bell being, or showing signs of being, a universalist-- one who embaces the false doctrine that no one goes to hell, and everyone goes to Heaven. So the gospel is an exercise in fertility?

Now, this article riveted my attention! It is found in the Gospel Coalition blog, and has updates at the end which shed more light (see Updates 2 and 3 at the bottom of it). It also includes a video of Rob Bell saying things which made (and make) many a knowledgeable Christian sit up and take note, though not in a good way-- but in an alarming way!

I have yet to watch the video. I will do so now and comment forthcoming...

WORLDVIEW LEGACY

I am seriously considering changing the name of this blog to "Worldview Legacy" because:

1. No one reads this blog.
2. ...and number two, this blog will be up here on the "Internets" forever!!!

With that said, let me parenthetically express my dismay that Internet Explorer did not allow my toolbar in Blogger.com to function correctly, to wit, embolden my font! Well, I just closed IE and opened Google Chrome instead! Fine.

As I was saying, this blog is turning into a legacy, what with almost seven years of posting goin' on, I can't help but think I'm onto something!

God bless and save the Internet in its totality!

THE FUN CONTINUES

Here at Worldview Window, we pride ourselves (myself) on accurate, amateur, blog journalism. Whenever we can, we uncover a mystery by supplying relevant, hard-hitting links to news sources and commentary worth reading about.

Now for the meat. By way of Rush Limbaugh's site, I found an article in The UK Daily Mail Online which, as usual, does nothing to vindicate the anti-"Truther/Birther" movement (those who wish to put "President" Obama's constitutionality, or lack thereof, to rest). Once again, no light has been shed, no clarity has been achieved. But a lot of hot air and obfuscation has been perpetuated in this account as well. What else can "they" do but stall and throw nebulous statements of certainty at the issue.

I am still not convinced that Obama is not hiding the fact (I think) that he was not, in fact, born in the USA. Why the secrecy, obfuscation, and controversy over a supposedly settled issue?

Because it is not settled. Yet. Stay tuned.

OK, WORDPRESS IS COOL

Well, I just wanted to chime in on WordPress. I like it, for what it's worth. It's free, like Google Blogger. But it has shortcomings in features available (for free) which Blogger provides (again, for free).

This is the world of choices we live in, thank God.

VANISHING POINT

Today I had a pleasant surprise: I found out my former boss READS MY BLOG!!! Now I have three readers (myself, a good friend, and he)!

All kidding aside, I know there are also robot programs that comment on my blogposts with nonsense or advertisements. That's encouraging. Even "code" likes my blog!

So, why do I call this blog post "Vanishing Point?" Because I feel (and think) that there is a time when a blog's usefulness (marginal utility) diminishes to zero. That is, its relevance to the blog owner's life and concerns--be they political, religious, economic, social, and so on-- may change. Even though he or she may feel differently about it, the readership (thank God for them) may still enjoy and derive some intangible benefit from it. This is good, and is an encouragement to me the author as a point of inspiration to continue the endeavor.

Which brings me to my point: out of sheer thankfulness, I can now focus my efforts--such as they are (LOL)-- on a wider audience.  Fifty percent wider! Now that's progress.