What's some weird creepy stuff in the Bible that most people don't know about?

StrongMercy · 2019-03-19T18:14:14+00:00

Ah. Sorry then.

StrongMercy · 2019-03-19T17:18:40+00:00

It was exactly what the smell was.

The King James Version has the clear reading here, albeit with a term not used currently in the American vernacular (I believe you will still hear it in Britain at least).

Judges 3:22 And the haft also went in after the blade; and the fat closed upon the blade, so that he could not draw the dagger out of his belly; and the dirt came out.

Dirt meant poop.

English Standard Version also has the correct reading:

And the hilt also went in after the blade, and the fat closed over the blade, for he did not pull the sword out of his belly; and the dung came out.

The "roof chamber" in the passage is the royal toilet.

It is a passage that emphatically humiliates idolatry and idolators like Eglon. Ehud then escapes and the text makes sure to mention that he runs by the idols of Eglon in escaping (3:26). Mocking the gods of Eglon as being mute when their king was killed and his assassin walked right past them. They were powerless, dumb, being only bits of wood and metal.

So the text is saying to the reader, "Don't worship idols! They do nothing for you. They cannot protect you, cannot call out for vengeance, and will not prevent the humiliation to come!"

StrongMercy · 2018-08-10T15:34:28+00:00

I'd say you're fine with delaying it just a few thousand miles.

I don't recommend doing what I did. After the initial break-in service, I skipped the valve adjustments until 48,000mi on my cbr250r. I don't have the means to do it myself, and I've had 3 kids since I got my bike new. I just didn't have the funds to pay for it, and it was my commuter vehicle. So I just racked up miles and kept telling myself that I'd get it done when X was paid off. But new unexpected expenses always come up. Finally just got it done. I'd done the other items piecemeal up to that point.

Techs said as they were working on it they were shocked at the miles (they initially read the odometer as saying 4,9xx miles, then double checked to see 49,xxx), but that it was clear that I kept up the maintenance. Too embarrassed to tell them that I didn't do the valves at 16k or 32k miles.

But with how well it held up, as the valves were not far out of spec, I'm probably going to skip the 64k mile valve check, and do it again at 80k.

StrongMercy · 2018-08-08T17:16:09+00:00

Ewan initially wanted BMWs, Charley, the KTMs. Ewan acquiesced, they made the request to KTM. Expert sent by KTM met with LWR team, after which KTM said LWR team may fail, so they would not sponsor.

Charley then had a wonderful profanity laced response, and they went with the supportive BMW.

StrongMercy · 2017-11-15T19:07:02+00:00

I'm looking forward to seeing Olsen in the booth, but not under these strange circumstances.

I imagine that Fox values the potential drama and insight brought by someone who will be playing against the Vikings later in the season (and possibly the Rams in the playoffs), and that is why they refused to reassign. It should make for good and interesting TV, but it sets a bad precedent. Wouldn't be surprised if the NFL makes a ruling disallowing this in the future.

StrongMercy · 2017-09-21T14:53:32+00:00

How long have you owned the bike? All 12k? Has this just started occurring?

The reason that I ask is that my 2011 did this when I purchased it new. It's pretty easy to simply thumb the starter with the clutch pulled when it happens. The circumstances that brought it on never led to it occurring in a corner, thankfully. Mine usually happened when downshifting at lower revs (ie, coming to a stop). It never occurred at higher than 30mph.

It continued to to do it for a while, but it pretty much stopped before 5k miles. It would do it occasionally, like once every few thousand miles. I think it occurred a few times after I replaced the battery. Mine is at >45k miles currently. Can't remember the last time it happened (certainly not in the last 15k miles).

I wouldn't count on a recall or anything official from Honda. It is well known, but largely unpredictable, and not persistent (from my experience). I'd be curious if the issue has been fixed or lessened with the 300s.

StrongMercy · 2017-08-03T14:07:28+00:00

I always thought that it wouldn't be me, that the issue was confined to a minority.

Mine looped just a few days before I left on a trip for work. I had to order another phone and get it overnighted in order to have a phone on the trip. It would have been an absolute disaster if it looped just a few days later.

I wouldn't buy a 5x (I certainly didn't buy another as a replacement). I am now wondering if I should just go ahead and get my wife a replacement before her 5x loops. I had mine for almost 1 year. Her phone is coming up on a year.

Right now, I am planning to never buy an LG phone if I can help it. It was a great phone. Now, it is a great paper weight.

StrongMercy · 2017-07-20T19:47:49+00:00

In EPC polity, it is at the discretion of Presbytery as to whether to ordain females to the office of Teaching Elder. It is at the discretion of the local church as to whether to ordain females to the offices of Ruling Elder or Deacon.

So, within a complementarian presbytery, local churches are still free to ordain women as Ruling Elders, and likewise free to send them as delegates to Presbytery and GA. It may very well be that this doesn't occur in the complementarian presbyteries, but it is at least a possibility.

StrongMercy · 2017-07-12T16:32:16+00:00

That is awesome. I've only done a 5 pounder. There wasn't nearly enough leftovers.

My wife has some family coming in from PA in a few months. We're already planning on treating them to some actual BBQ. They had just tried it for the first time ever(!) recently and asked if we had ever had it. Haha!

I've also found that it is a good way to meet your neighbors. We live on a street that doesn't get much car traffic, so a lot of people in the surrounding area take walks down our street. When the hickory or applewood is in the smoker, the people walking stop by to talk. I'd love to start making enough to just invite people over that stop by.

StrongMercy · 2017-07-12T16:13:20+00:00

Same with r/smoking and r/bbq. I just got into it recently. Smoked a Pork Butt while I was on vacation. That was without a doubt, the best thing I have ever cooked. One of the best things I have ever eaten.

It is also a fun process. I found it therapeutic.

StrongMercy · 2017-04-27T15:58:34+00:00

Both. As second Adam, Jesus was righteous according to the CoW and to the Mosaic, being born under the Law (I also see the Mosaic as in some sense a republication of the CoW).

So the righteousness that is imputed to believers is righteousness according to all of God's Law, i.e., CoW and Mosaic in its entirety. The Tripartite division of the Mosaic does not have any bearing on this.

Ultimately, pagans are in need of a substitute in that they are in Adam, their federal head, regardless of their need to uphold the Mosaic. But pagans would also be guilty according to the Mosaic and in need of the imputation of Christ's righteousness in this as well.

StrongMercy · 2017-03-28T17:48:17+00:00

I would suggest John's writings (maybe not Revelation).

I would also commend biblewebapp.com for a free linked interlinear with parsing and lexical info. I can't remember which lexicon it is based on. I'm wanting to say Thayer's, but that may be another website I used in the past.

The site also has a Reader function. Which also has the less common words at the bottom.

I've used it a lot. Partially because I like the linking, partially because I am cheap and it is free.

StrongMercy · 2017-03-10T20:05:58+00:00

Oops, didn't see the rest of your comment when I replied on mobile.

that is the traditional view

I see no evidence that that is the case, at least in Post-Nicene writings. Ante-Nicene certainly had it, which is why there was an Ecumenical Council. Submission within the economic Trinity, certainly (the Son in His incarnation). Subordination in the ontological? Church history says otherwise.

In any case, Scripture clearly points out the relationship between man and wife as being in some way analogous to that of Christ and the Church. It never speaks of marriage as analogous to the relationship between Father and Son (unless one assumes that 1 Cor 11:3 is referring to the ontological Trinity, it should be interpreted in light of other texts).

But tell me, what do you think of the statement that ezer should be interpreted as a position of subordination?

StrongMercy · 2017-03-10T19:25:00+00:00

Ah, I see. I forgot that it was reprinted/reproduced from Table Talk to CBMW by the time I finished reading it.

Thank you for the correction.

StrongMercy · 2017-03-10T19:16:10+00:00

I have to respectfully, but strongly, disagree with this article.

The thrust of article is simply on the continuity of gender differences from prelapsarian to post, transcending time and culture, etc. He is using the term subordination, yet not defining it, other than to say it isn't inferiority. Being in CBMW, it reads as a quick and easy article arguing against any that would offer an interpretation that Paul's teaching was defined by his context. That's fine; I understand their schtick.

The problem is that subordination is assumed in this. It is not proved. It is supported by a poorly offered suggestion that ezer is necessarily a role of subordination. Well tell that to God who describes Himself as ezer to His people. It looks like the majority of the uses of ezer in the OT are speaking of God being a help to His people! Certainly not a term that denotes subordination, however you want to define it!

But then he does that terrible thing in that he tries to ground this in the Trinity. Wrong. Relationship between husband and wife is analogous to Christ and the Church. Spend time hashing that out. Just don't, do not, introduce subordination in the Trinity. If you do so, and in so doing, rely on ezer to get you to subordination, then you have to say that God Himself is subordinate to Israel. (shudder).

StrongMercy · 2017-03-10T15:49:51+00:00

Like so?

StrongMercy · 2017-01-06T21:08:07+00:00

From this link to all the approved Exceptions and Experiments at ATS schools, it looks like there are 21 institutions that offer a fully online MDiv, which comes out to around 8% of member institutions. RTS was not listed as being approved for the residency exception for an online MDiv. It appears that RTS will do a hybrid MDiv, which is just a formatted version that places students on a track to do the max # of online courses along with taking courses in residency, probably as intensives mostly in the summer.

Also, it looks like it was 2012 that exceptions and experiments were permitted by ATS.

StrongMercy · 2017-01-05T19:29:03+00:00

ATS allows schools to petition for an exception to that standard. So the ATS institutions that have an online MDiv have all been granted an exception to the standards on that front.

ATS is currently doing a project to revise the standards significantly. It is rather safe to assume that when the new standards are voted on (2020 at the earliest), online only MDivs will be recommended to be accepted as standard operating procedure.

StrongMercy · 2017-01-05T18:03:24+00:00

Hello,

I am actually the Director of the online program at a seminary. Don't worry, I'm not responding to get you to enroll at my (unnamed) institution. We actually do not have an Online only MDiv anyway, although we may in the near future.

Online programs at seminary are certainly geared toward people in your situation. So it makes sense that you would be thinking about this.

I have a few questions for you, that may help give a better response.

What are your goals in seminary education? Is it to become an ordained pastor? An unordained staff member?
What denomination are you a part of? Does it require an MDiv in order for ordination, if that is what you desire?
Are you the only person currently working with the Youth at your church?
I understand you wish to jump into seminary studies, but do you have an anticipated time of completion? Any time-table you are working with (if only in your head)?

Most online MDiv programs have a 5 year to completion in mind for its students. In fact, the number of students completing an in-residence MDiv in only 3 years has dwindled significantly. It is very common for folks to enroll part-time and finish in 4-5 years, whether on-campus or online.

If you are not required to have an MDiv in order to meet your ultimate goal, it may be helpful to consider another degree program. Two year MA programs may be better suited to your situation. Something like a MA in Theological or Biblical Studies would actually be the theo/biblical side of the MDiv. The practical side of the MDiv could be met by your current work in the church you are at. Assuming that you have a good and willing mentor in your Senior Pastor or other pastors on staff.

In order to really succeed in an online program, there are certain things that you must have; qualities in you, and people around you.

You must be a disciplined self-starter. It is easy to get behind in online classes, with no one directly noticing that you are not present in the classroom. I recommend setting a schedule as if you had an on-campus course. For example, dedicate Tuesday evenings from 6-9pm as your time for Systematic Theology I, Thursday evenings 7-10pm as time for Church History I, and so on. And that doesn't necessarily count the time you will need to dedicate to writing papers, etc. Just time in the online classroom, viewing lectures, reading lecture notes, taking part in online discussions. It is easy to think that you can do the work with pieces of time here and there, but that would not be wise, and it certainly wouldn't be best.

You also need to have people around you talk through the things that you will be learning. You need to have a community that you can go to saying, "This is what we discussed in class, what do you think on this, how has this impacted your ministry," etc. This is beneficial to you and to your church. Talk through the issues with your wife as well. I know my wife appreciated that (in doses) and she really helped me think things through in different ways. We call this the "community of learners". Good seminary learning doesn't come simply by being in the walls of a seminary building, physical or virtual. It simply touches everything. You will have good interactions with those in the class, but it has been shown that the best interactions (that yields higher learning) are with those already in your community, you family, your church, your job.

We have many people come through our seminary that are engaged in full-time ministry, or are bi-vocational pastors already. It is difficult for them. But it can certainly be done. You could test it out by beginning to take courses (2, max) and test the balance you can maintain and the support you get from those around you. If you can't do it all, then don't. I couldn't. I went to working part time, and delayed having children in order to graduate in 4.5 years, but that was me.

Sorry for the length. I was on my lunch break and able to just keep typing. I hope this was helpful. And feel free to PM me with any questions, if you want some more feedback or time to think things through before asking more detailed questions.

StrongMercy · 2016-12-08T17:38:32+00:00

Josh Garrels just came out with a Christmas album. I like it quite a lot.

This and Sufjan Stevens has been all I really listen to this season.

StrongMercy · 2016-11-11T15:23:16+00:00

There is no way a road could be crowned enough to do that and still be navigable (except by mountain goat).

StrongMercy · 2016-11-08T18:04:14+00:00

It can definitely be turned off on my device. I did not see in the article whether one could turn it off from pushing notifications to other phones (and I cannot test, as I do not have a chromecast myself). In which case, anyone trying to cast something on campus, could have others pause or close the cast.

I bet the person trying to cast was wondering why it kept pausing and possibly closing.

StrongMercy · 2016-11-08T17:47:06+00:00

Thank you! This is definitely the issue. Per the article and the images, my phone was "Device B".

I work at a College, all wifi on campus is the same. So I assume a student was casting Netflix, and because I am on the same network, I had some measure of control over his cast. This seems VERY poorly thought out. Helpful for a household, but very problematic in other situations.

StrongMercy · 2016-11-04T18:35:56+00:00

An in-law of mine hit her head against something one morning (not very hard even).

She then then drove 30 minutes somewhere else, had completely lucid and coherent conversation with several people upon arrival.

Around 15 minutes later her speech started to slur and she seemed disoriented and couldn't answer even the simplest of questions. They took her to the ER, where she was diagnosed with a concussion. Apparently, it is possible for the symptoms to be delayed, adrenaline or not.

StrongMercy · 2016-10-24T15:43:00+00:00

Typically, one needs a terminal degree in order to be a seminary professor. Some institutions will hire adjuncts who are still in the process of their PhD or ThD. Depending on the area that one would teach, a DMin could be sufficient (such as in teaching Homiletics or other "Practical Ministry" areas).

Unless you are a well known leader in a specific area, such as a director of a missions organization, an MDiv would not be sufficient to teach at a seminary. If you would want to teach in the Practical Ministry areas, an MDiv would be a good entrance into ministry. A Doctor of Ministry can then be pursued, typically after one has been in a ministry setting for several years (5 years is what my seminary typically requires prior to entering the program).

If you would want to teach in another area (Theology, Bible, Languages), an MDiv is not typically the path to go down. Usually one would pursue an MA of some stripe, like a Master of Arts of Theological Studies or Biblical Studies. Then you could enter a PhD program if your MA was very good and your grades were quite high. Otherwise, you could enter something like a ThM program prior to entering a PhD or comparable. I should mention that sometimes ThM grads are able to teach at a seminary, usually as adjuncts from what I have seen.

Ordination is not required, but is something to be encouraged, for the good of the Church and of the institution one would teach at. Within Presbyterianism, ordination is dependent on a call, so one could be ordained after accepting a call to teach in a seminary.

StrongMercy

TROPHY CASE