Robert Murray M'Chenye gives advice on talking with people about following Jesus, real conversion & salvation:
"Speak boldly. What matter in eternity the slight awkwardness of time!"
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Maybe there was some king named David
When I first heard that trendy Old Testament scholarship has claimed (for several decades) that Kings David and Solomon never existed as recorded in the biblical accounts (2Samuel-1Kings, 1-2Chronicles), I was only mildly surprised. The trend seems to be what scholars call the 'minimalist' approach to biblical history - a presumption that all the details of the story should not be trusted until they can be independently verified.
Various powerful interests in the Israel/Palestine region make it difficult to carefully dig up much that might verify the biblical accounts. For instance, the most likely site for uncovering ruins of the First (Solomon's) or Second (Herod's; where Jesus worshiped) Temple has been controlled by Islamic interest since 1967, apparently. The Koran (I've been told) claims that the Hebrew and Christian Scriptures have been corrupted, and the true history must be obtained through Islam's corrective accounts of biblical history. So, Islamic interests have reason to hope that the Hebrew Scriptures cannot be independently verified. Enter Dr. Eilat Mazar, a Jewish archaeologist. She claims to have discovered part of a massive wall that is likely David's magnificent palace, constructed with the help of Hiram, king of Tyre (2Samuel 5; 1Chronicles 14). The article is from 2005, so more might now be known.
Maybe there was some king named David who was a regional power around the 10th century BC.
Various powerful interests in the Israel/Palestine region make it difficult to carefully dig up much that might verify the biblical accounts. For instance, the most likely site for uncovering ruins of the First (Solomon's) or Second (Herod's; where Jesus worshiped) Temple has been controlled by Islamic interest since 1967, apparently. The Koran (I've been told) claims that the Hebrew and Christian Scriptures have been corrupted, and the true history must be obtained through Islam's corrective accounts of biblical history. So, Islamic interests have reason to hope that the Hebrew Scriptures cannot be independently verified. Enter Dr. Eilat Mazar, a Jewish archaeologist. She claims to have discovered part of a massive wall that is likely David's magnificent palace, constructed with the help of Hiram, king of Tyre (2Samuel 5; 1Chronicles 14). The article is from 2005, so more might now be known.
Maybe there was some king named David who was a regional power around the 10th century BC.
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Robert Murray M'Cheyne's sense of calling
Here's a line from Andrew Bonar's biography of his good friend, Robert Murray M'Cheyne:
"Must there not be somewhat of this missionary tendency [i.e., M'Cheyne's willingness to leave his homeland or to labor for Christ at home] in all true ministers? Is anyone truly the Lord's messenger who is not quite willing to go when and where the Lord calls? Is it justifiable in any to put aside a call from the north, on the ground that he wishes one from the south?"
Christian, where is God calling you to serve him?
"Must there not be somewhat of this missionary tendency [i.e., M'Cheyne's willingness to leave his homeland or to labor for Christ at home] in all true ministers? Is anyone truly the Lord's messenger who is not quite willing to go when and where the Lord calls? Is it justifiable in any to put aside a call from the north, on the ground that he wishes one from the south?"
Christian, where is God calling you to serve him?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)