Flock's Diner

www.flocksdiner.com

2009-01-22T20:16:00.000-05:00

For all future posts, I will only be posting at www.flocksdiner.com.

Thanks.

In His dust,
Johnny

Blotted Out

2008-12-15T23:55:00.000-05:00

In a town where I have lived, there was once a restaurant that was closed by its owner. That’s no big deal, except for the fact that it was at a time when certain people could not eat in that restaurant because of their skin tone. The owner closed the restaurant rather than be forced to serve all customers. That happened many decades ago. But, sadly, the sin of hatred still lingers in many towns and cities all over the world.

To read the rest, go to www.flocksdiner.com.

In His dust,
Johnny

Please come to the new home of the Flock's Diner at www.flocksdiner.com.

2007-05-05T10:04:00.000-05:00

www.flocksdiner.com

Meet the Flockers!

2007-07-23T21:06:00.000-05:00

Meet the Flockers!

www.flocksdiner.com

Highway to Hell

2008-11-13T19:45:00.000-05:00

Growing up in the 70’s was interesting. Marijuana, whiskey, and beer were common around my house. And my favorite record was “Highway to Hell” by AC/DC. I would play that album over and over, pretending to be Angus Young rocking out on the solos.

The Church hated that song, and asked people to break the record, if he or she owned it. The assumption was that the writer and the band were glorifying the desire to go to hell. But that wasn’t actually the meaning of the song.

The words of the song are the expression of the ironic life of a rock star...

To read the rest, click on www.flocksdiner.com.

A Follow-up to "Eternal Life"

2008-11-11T15:21:00.000-05:00

I agree that the idea of the afterlife is a wonderful encouragement, especially during the difficult times of life, and most definitely when we come to the end of life.

As most of us are aware, Paul was very effective at Westernizing the Gospel, and the Pharisees (like Paul) were believers in the afterlife. Jesus’ teaching was always very Eastern and Jewish. In fact, when he was approached by Gentiles for healing someone they loved, he did not do it right away, but only after they insisted (displayed chutzpah, which is translated, faith). Jesus, as Dr. David Bivin, Dr. Brad Young, Dr. Ron Moseley, and others do a fine job of proving, was most closely aligned with the views of the Pharisees, and also taught about a literal afterlife.

Even so, “eternal life” was heard in Jesus and Paul’s day as “living life like the Eternal (God)” or to live in holiness, doing the will of God as directed by God’s Word. So, although we refer to eternal life as the act of living forever, we miss something, when we don’t understand that “eternal” was a direct reference to God. In other words, eternal life could also be translated “god-like life” or living as God would have one live.

Of course, we do receive eternal life, but as most Christians believe, only when we live a “god-like life.”

To read "Eternal Life" click on http://flocksdiner.com/?p=109.

In His dust,
Johnny

Jesus' Singleness

2008-10-22T21:01:00.000-05:00

Century after century, people have questioned whether it is more holy to remain single or get married. Many followers of Christ, clergy and otherwise, have chosen to live a life of celibacy in order to please God with their complete dedication to him.

In the rabbinic count of biblical commands, the very first command is “Be fruitful and increase in number” (Genesis 1:28).

As a command, the act of marriage would be considered the desire of God for his children.

So, why didn’t Jesus obey this command?

To read the rest, go to www.flocksdiner.com.

The Golden Rule Rulz!

2008-10-16T15:27:00.002-05:00

Where did all the good attitudes go?

For two days I have tried to take my son to get his hair cut. Yesterday our schedule was tight and we had about an hour to spend on getting his hair cut. We went into the barber shop where there were two barbers and two people getting their mops chopped. We walked in, they asked for my son’s name and told us to have a seat. Twenty minutes later, one of the barbers finished, cleaned her equipment, swept around the chair, and then disappeared into the back of the store. She never even looked at us.

We left.

Today, we thought we’d try again, so we went to another hair cutting establishment. My twelve-year-old who stands about five and a half feet tall was placed on a booster seat, covered in a kiddy apron that barely covered his shirt...

To read the rest, go to www.flocksdiner.com.

In His dust,
Johnny

Jesus' Healing Wings

2008-10-11T18:10:00.001-05:00

Jesus wore two articles of clothing, a halluq (ha-luke) and a talit (ta-leet). The talit is an undergarment. It is usually made of linen and covers the body all the way to the middle of the shin. The talit is a prayer shawl, also known as a prayer closet. The talit is worn over the halluq, and is pulled up over the head during prayer. On the corners of the talit are 4 tassels called tzitziyot (tzitzit - singular). The Jews continue to wear these tassels because of the command to wear them in Numbers 15:37-41 and Deuteronomy 22:12.

The English word that is translated “hem” is a translation of the Greek word “krespedon” which means “a tassel of twisted wool.”

The Jews of Jesus’ day believed that the tzitziyot (tassels) that were tied to the corners of the prayer shawl of the Messiah had healing powers.
To read the rest go to www.flocksdiner.com.

Forever learning,
Johnny

"Come! Follow Me."

2008-09-26T12:38:00.001-05:00

When Jesus called his talmidim (Matthew 4:18-22; 9:9-13), they were all working; making a living in the family trade. Jesus went to their places of work and said, “Come, follow me.” The Bible tells us that they immediately quit what they were doing and began to follow Jesus. Why would they quit their jobs to follow him? It wasn’t because he was the Messiah; they didn’t even know he was the Messiah until after his resurrection.

To read the rest, go to www.flocksdiner.com.

In His Dust,
Johnny

Parents Can Say the Dumbest Things!

2008-09-17T09:46:00.001-05:00

Some of you may be like me in that you can be very emotionally affected by your imagination.

I have a son who easily comes to tears simply by hearing of someone else’s pain. My son cried and yelled out a few pre-teen bleep-requiring comments about the boys. I was sorry I told him the story after that.

Recently I discovered, the hard way, that my daughter carries the same imaginative trait. I then wanted to plant a seed of commitment into her small memory bank, so I then went on to tell her that she will marry a great guy and stay married to him until she dies.

I suddenly found myself in big trouble!

To read the whole article, go to http://www.flocksdiner.com/.

Blessings,
Johnny

Jesus, Rabbi with Authority

2008-09-14T13:28:00.000-05:00

God came into the world in the form of a Jewish, Galilean rabbi. God did not “just” come into the world in the form of a man. That would be much too random and simplistic when we consider the very detailed, strategic God that is YHWH.

The Messiah entered the world in first-century Israel; he was born in Bethlehem, grew up in Nazareth, and lived his adult life in Capernaum, near the Sea of Galilee. The largest religious school ever built in ancient times has been discovered in Capernaum. Those who grew up and lived in Capernaum were exposed to the Harvard of their day.

In ancient Israel, there were two kinds of teachers; Torah teachers also referred to as teachers of the Law, and there were Shmikahed rabbis also called teachers with authority.

To read the whole article, go to www.flocksdiner.com.

In His dust,
Johnny

The Simplicity of the Written Word

2008-09-09T07:10:00.000-05:00

The Bible is a very precious and valuable piece of property for many people. Some are even quite superstitious about the book itself, claiming that it should not be placed on the ground or have any item laid on top of it.

Even more passionate are the opinions about which version of the English language is most appropriate for filling the text. The King James Version is thought of by many Christians as the most beautiful of all the English versions of the Bible. Some even use the English of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries (as in the KJV) when praying, as if it is more suitable for speaking with God.

To read the rest, go to www.flocksdiner.com.

In His dust,
Johnny

Baby-Battered

2008-08-31T20:26:00.002-05:00

As one liberal politician so comfortably stated, “My wife and I are raising our children to be moral and ethical people, but, if they make a mistake, I would not punish them with a baby.” The person who spoke those words confesses to be a Christian. Is there such a thing as a Christian who believes that pregnancy is a punishment? Even in the most pagan of ancient societies where they would sacrifice new-born children to the gods, they never considered those babies to be “punishments.” I believe that much of modern, Western society has hit a new low in the area of cultural immorality.

The interpretation of life is something that requires more than head knowledge. Life is not a matter of political opinion or personal views. Life is objective, obvious, and unquestionable.

To read the rest, go to http://www.flocksdiner.com/.

Blessings,
Johnny

The Dump

2008-08-25T23:22:00.001-05:00

What is the biblical definition of hell?

Three words used for “hell” in the Bible:

1. Tartaroo - a word borrowed from the Greek world which was a reference to the place where angels were punished in the world of mythology.

2. Hades – A Greek translation of the Hebrew word Sh’ol – only word used for hell in the Old Testament and refers to the world of the dead, grave, pit, and sleep. The Gates of Hades is a physical place in the Decapolus where the pagan God, Pan, was worshiped.

3. Gei-Hinnom

To read the rest go to www.flocksdiner.com.

Blessings,
Johnny

Baby Doomers

2008-08-19T20:13:00.000-05:00

“Deciding when life begins is above my pay grade.”

After listening to this statement made by a particular presidential candidate as he responded to Rick Warren’s question about the beginning of life, I was reminded of an ethics class I took a couple of years ago at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary.

Dr. Peterson was the professor and he gave a scenario of a burning hospital building where one hundred zygotes were kept safely frozen while one infant screamed in horror, choking from the smoke. He then asked, which one would you save, the screaming infant or the one hundred fertilized human eggs?

To read the rest, click on www.flocksdiner.com.

The Under Shepherd

2008-07-31T12:16:00.001-05:00

As the previous post will guide you, it is apparently shocking that some non-believers are surprised when a Christian claims that God does not do everything for His children. The article, “God Is Not A Babysitter” has brought about a wonderful and sometimes disturbing discussion on one website (see previous post).

A couple of people even stated, “Either god is active in the world, or he isn’t. And by active, I mean in people’s personal lives. That includes protection for the innocent. Or else … he’s not worth believing in.”

What is quite interesting to me is how similar the view of some atheists are to some Christians.

One of the major pictures that studying the Hebraic and Jewish roots of the New Testament has given me is that of the Shepherd.

To read the rest, click on www.flocksdiner.com.

An Atheist Responds

2008-07-26T07:45:00.000-05:00

On October 4, 2007 I posted an article titled “God Is Not A Babysitter” at www.flocksdiner.com.

The gist of the post had to do with the absence of God in the world. An atheist picked up on the article and posted a response on his own website. It may be a good idea for some of you to read his response and consider the heart of his words. The true heart of an atheist or agnostic is often (not always) a desire to know the truth.

For the last two years, I have had the privilege of studying with a couple of agnostics. It is one thing to preach to and teach a room full of believers, and an entirely different thing to discuss the things of God with those who don’t believe in God. I will tell you that I have been so challenged by the interaction I have had with non-believers that I have learned as much from them (through the studies I underwent in response to their doubts) as I have from theological professors.

If you want to read the response to my article by this atheist, you can click on the link at thechapel.wordpress.com/2008/07/25/need-a-babysitter-dont-call-god. That article will also connect you to my article.

May we all bless God today.

Johnny

After the Vomit...Don't Forget!

2008-07-08T09:36:00.001-05:00

Complaining is an easy thing to do. We all have reasons to complain.

Sometimes it is a little more difficult to notice the great stuff in our lives.

Think about that feeling right after you vomit when the wish-you-were-dead nausea is finally relieved. It is as if the whole world is at your feet just waiting to be conquered.

To read the rest, go to www.flocksdiner.com.

In His dust,
Johnny

Homo-Sex God

2008-07-01T14:22:00.001-05:00

In continuing my studies concerning the Bible and homosexuality, I have come across another interesting, controversial, and “possibly” misinterpreted text.

The many Bible teachers, including educated scholars and backyard theologians (a.k.a. uneducated, honorary doctors of Bible study leadership) who teach that homosexuality is overtly mentioned as a sinful behavior in the Bible, often quote from a few passages that often include 1 Corinthians 6:9 and 1 Timothy 1:10. There are other passages which are quoted, but we will stick with those two for the time being.

To read the rest, click www.flocksdiner.com.

In His dust,
Johnny

God and Gay(?) Sodom

2008-06-23T18:36:00.000-05:00

The story of two angels visiting Sodom in Genesis 19 gives us many reasons to pause and wonder. Many sermons have been preached on this passage, which usually lead us to decide that homosexuality is the sin that caused Sodom to be destroyed. After all, how could God not destroy a city where a bunch of gay people wanted to rape two angels?

A closer look at the passage will help us to paint a new picture of the incident in Sodom.

To read the rest, click on www.flocksdiner.com.

Permit and Forbid

2008-06-01T13:17:00.001-05:00

“I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven” (Matthew 16:19).

Throughout the history of God’s people we often read that those whom He chooses to lead are not always the same kinds of people that we would choose to lead. Sometimes they have hot tempers, questionable character, and checkered pasts.

How many of us are in charge of something or have been given responsibility for something very valuable, and the idea of you or me being responsible for it surprises us? The world is full of people who are in charge whom you and I would be quick to judge and say, “I can’t believe that person i is charge.” I heard one pastor say with a nasty attitude, “They will send anyone to seminary nowadays, even those who have been in prison.”

To read the rest, go to www.flocksdiner.com.

Forgiving Idols

2008-05-25T20:12:00.001-05:00

How often do we place ourselves in the role of worshiper without first being a forgiver? Why do we forgive? Why do we worship? Often the answer hovers dangerously close to being “to meet my needs.” Jesus said “first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift” (Matthew 5:23-24). This teaching of Jesus gets its roots from the ancient Jews. There is a 10-day period between the Jewish New year and the Day of Atonement. This 10-day stretch of time was to be used by all Jews to seek reconciliation from one another, followed by a nation-wide fast.

The great fast on the Day of Atonement was not to be observed by any person who did not first seek forgiveness from his or her neighbor. Imagine for a moment how wonderful an observance this was, as a magnificent communal experience for all God’s people, when they spent 10 days reconciling all wrongs and bringing the entire nation to a place of peace with one another.

To read the rest, go to www.flocksdiner.com

Blessings,
Johnny

Tsimtsum

2008-05-16T20:50:00.003-05:00

The church is very familiar with the teaching of God’s omnipresence; the idea that God is everywhere. Theologically, a less than thorough understanding of omnipresence can lead a person to run the risk of tampering with a belief in pantheism and/or panentheism.

What does the Bible say about the presence of God in the world?

It is apparent that God cannot co-exist with man directly. God covers himself in a storm cloud when He must be in the presence of man. There is no place in the Old Testament where God is able to stand person to person with anyone without some kind of cover. It is interesting that God does long to be with people despite this exception to the rule of His omnipresence, which inevitably leads us to wonder whether God is truly unlimited in His abilities.

In an amazing book that I am thoroughly enjoying, titled, The Gospel According to Moses, written by Athol Dickson, the subject of God being limited is discussed with very convincing facts and scholarly opinions. Dickson speaks of the kabbalistic rabbis who taught about tsimtsum. (The Kabbalah is a collection of mystical rabbinic teachings.) Tsimtsum, or “withdrawing” is the subject of separation that was required in the creation process. God separated the light from the darkness, the water from the water, the dry ground from the seas, and the day from the night (see Geneis, chapter 1).

Why all this separation? And what about tsimstum with regard to God himself?

The Bible’s understanding of everything is that before anything, only God existed. God filled all that was, because God was all that was. And once the earth was formed, God limited himself in order to make room for His creation. Tsimtsum was required for God to allow creation to exist outside of His own existence (see Dickson, pages 40-41). Otherwise, everything would be God, hence pantheism, or God would permeate everything, hence panentheism.

“This does not mean that there are places where God is not present. It simply means God has different ways of ‘being,’ some of which are universal or omnipresent, and some of which are not” (Dickson, 42).

This year, my wife and I will celebrate our twentieth wedding anniversary. For the first eighteen months, my wife and I only considered ourselves. We had nothing and no one for whom we needed to make room. I was all hers and she was all mine. Once our children arrived, we had to make room for them in our hearts and lives, and with our time and finances. Tsimtsum entered our marriage.

Once God decided to create, He would have to make room for His creation. Why? The answer is “free-will.” In order for creation to fully exist outside of God, God would have to allow for it to make its own decisions.

This subject is very important to me, because it helps me to answer the question: Why do bad things happen to good people? And even more important: If God is so powerful, why do bad things happen at all? The answer has to do with the ability to make a decision. If there were no options, there would be no such thing as free-will. Yet, free-will requires that creation has the option to do evil.

So, why doesn’t God just destroy all of the evil?

The Flood is the result of God imparting His perfect justice on the world. If everyone was punished for their sins, then everyone would be dead…again. God has chosen to limit even His perfect justice in order to impart mercy and grace upon humanity. This may be difficult to accept by many, but once we begin looking into our own lives, we quickly realize that none of us is perfect. And, unless we are perfect, God has no choice but to remove us from His presence, permanently.

This, once again, brings us back to the rabbinic teaching of tsimtsum, and God’s willingness to limit His presence in the world.

In His dust,
Johnny @ www.flocksdiner.com

JeHoVaH

2008-05-11T19:59:00.002-05:00

Hamakom, hagavoah, halashon, hag'vurah, and shamayim were all names used by the ancient people of God in order to avoid misusing the name YHWH (yah-WEH) when having daily conversation or even in teaching. This is still the practice for modern Jews. ‘Adonai or ‘elohim was used when reciting or reading Scripture. Yet, even ‘elohim was not used in conversation.

The reason these other names, literally meaning the Place, the High, the Tongue, the Power, and the Heaven, were used in place of the tetragrammaton, YHWH, was due to a literal translation of the third commandment, which was to never use the name of YHWH in vain.

Until some time around the third century B.C., but definitely up until the exile in 586 B.C. the name YHWH was used regularly. But in the third century B.C. the name YHWH was only spoken by the priests during Temple liturgies.Until the sixth century A.D. there were no vowels used in writing the Hebrew language. But at that time, due to the deficite of people who were still fluent in Hebrew, vowels were used to help future generations pronounce the words of the Hebrew Scriptures.Here is where the name Jehovah was accidentally invented.

The scholars of the sixth century, known as Masoretes, are the ones who began using vowels in writing the Hebrew Scriptures. In their attempt to preserve the third century B.C. law of not saying YHWH, the Masoretes superimposed the vowels of ‘adonai into the tetragrammaton YHWH. This was a protection for those who stumbled across the name YHWH in their reading and prevented them from saying the “sacred name.”

In 1516 A.D. an Italian theologian named Franciscan friar Galatinus came across this superimposed “warning” and misinterpreted it to be a name used for God. He then transliterated the Hebrew Y with the Latin equivalent J and the Hebrew W with the Latin equivalent V and presto…JeHoVaH was created.

Remember that as you sing, “There’s no God like Jehovah,” just take out the “like” and you have a more theologically correct song.

In His dust,
Johnny @ www.flocksdiner.com