Customers and expenditures unnecessary small.

21 But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— 22 the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. 26 It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. (Romans 3:21-26)

6 For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. (2Corintians 4:6)

Thanks for the opportunity to share my unqualified concerns.

Joel Salisbury

Bruce Waltke tells the sotry of when he was in Israel studying. He lived next door to a men who had trained to be a Rabbi. They would meet each day to study modern Hebrew – and when they would reach certain words in the Newspaper, his friend would say “Bruce, you ought to already know that word – its in the Bible.” Then, Waltke says, his friend would go one not to quote the verse where the word appeared, but the entire chapter each time. Later, in one sitting he chanted for two hours with Waltke checking the Biblical text and he never dropped a syllable. He later confessed he had memorized the entire Torah and could chant it from memory. Then Waltke mentions – the man was an atheist. Now he had given his life to studying the revelation in unimaginably fine detail – committing much of it to memory – but he had never met the Revelator. And the revelation was for nothing. This is my fear with the way we approach theology.

Sounds dangerous. Count me in.

I went to a series of classes in the summer on the doctrine of GOD, (called “Getting to Know God Like You’ve Never Known Him Before”) during which the teacher went through the names by which God revealed Himself to mankind, from creation on through history. For example, it wasn’t until Moses met Him at the burning bush that He revealed Himself as “YaHWeH” (I Am) Why is that? What did this name reveal about God that He hadn’t revealed to man before that moment in time? And why didn’t He reveal Himself using this name until then? His names throughout the Scriptures sometimes revealed a new aspect of God’s character that wasn’t known or emphasized before that point in history. Perhaps a study of theology could be based on the names by which God revealed Himself to man (and the different aspects of His character as they were revealed through those names)….like Jehovah-jireh, Jehovan-nissi, Jehovah-rapha, and Jehovah-tsidkenu (my favorite because it sounds neat and teaches a great truth about God and salvation)…..culminating in the incarnation, resurrection, ascention of Christ (including the names Jesus even gave to Himself while on earth…the Way, the LIFE, the TRUTH, the DOOR, the Good Shepherd, etc.).

I have even LESS gray matter between my ears, so I hesitate to share my thoughts, but it might be something to think about.

P. S. I sure hope the hair growing from ears thing only happens to MEN when they reach 50!!!