Around the Horn

Around the Horn is back after a hiatus due to more pressing matters. So without further ado …

At first, here’s an article giving “5 Reasons Why Gay is not the New Black.” These are things that should be pretty obvious. While all humanity should be treated with dignity because they are in the image of God, we, as a society, need to stop with the nonsense. This article helps to point us in the right direction.

At second, here’s a story of a man who was offered $50,000 for his twitter handle, refused it, and then had it stolen from him. What’s the biggest lesson here? If someone offers you $50,000 for your twitter handle, give it to them. Now. Why? Cuz Twitter handles are free. So take the 50G before the other guy finds out.

At third, here’s a couple of articles on parenting (article 1, article 2). I’d like to insert here that I have made none of these mistakes. Today at least. (My kids are still in bed, which makes it easier.) Of course letting them sleep until 8:00 a.m. on a non-school day may be a sin, but I will ask them about it when they get up. Parenting is challenging, to be sure. Thankfully, everyone and their mother has an opinion on it. So check these out and see if they make sense to you. If not, remember I am just posting links.

And the home run, here’s a good idea for those who like to eat for free and don’t mind airport security. A man bought a first-class ticket, and spent the next year going to the airport, checking in for his flight, eating in the airline’s VIP lounge, then changing his ticket to another day. Then he would do it again. Time after time. Give the man points for creativity.

“It Has Been Written”

The NT authors’ goal was to convince their readers that Jesus was the Christ of God, sent for the salvation of the world. To prove this with an illegitimate or unapparent use of Scripture would hardly have been convincing. The Scriptures continually appeal to the OT for its authority by using phrases like “It has been written” or “As the Scripture says.” Such appeals only make sense if it can be shown that “it” has indeed been written or has been said in the Scriptures. After all, if the Christological interpretation was hidden, “then how could it have been persuasive for those considering whether Jesus was the one sent from God according to his plans for all eternity?”(Kaiser 2003, 22).

What Else Baxter Said

Richard Baxter is famous for his couplet, “I preached, as never sure to preach again, and as a dying man to dying men.” This couplet is often quoted to press home the urgency of the task of preaching.

What you have probably never seen is what else Baxter said on either side of his couplet. It is well worth the effort it takes to read this older poetry. It is taken from Baxter’s Poetic Fragments which was published in 1821. Baxter apparently used no versification in his poetry, so the formatting here is his (or whoever typeset this edition of Baxter’s poetry).

The frequent sight of death's most awful face,
Rebuked my sloth, and bid me mend my pace!
Thou knew'st my dulness needed such a spur;
So prone was I to trifle and demur.
Who dare his soul for gain or pleasure sell,
That lives as in the sight of Heav'n and Hell ?
This call'd me out to work while it was day;
And warn poor souls to turn without delay:
Resolving speedily thy word to preach,
With Ambrose, I at once did learn and teach.
Still thinking I had little time to live,
My fervent heart to win men's souls did strive.
I preach'd, as never sure to preach again,
And as a dying man to dying men!
O how should preachers men's repenting crave,
Who see how near the church is to the grave!
And see that while we preach and hear, we die,
Rapt by swift time to vast eternity!
What statues, or what hypocrites are they,
Who between sleep and wake do preach and pray!
As if they feared wakening the dead I
Or were but lighting sinners to their bed!
Who speak of Heav'n and Hell as on a stage!
And make the pulpit but a parrot's cage?
Who teach as men that care not much who learns;
And preach in jest to men that sin in earns.
Surely God's messenger, if any man,
Should speak with all the seriousness he can;
Who treateth in the name of the most high,
About the matters of eternity!
Who must prevail with sinners now or never,
As those that must be saved now, if ever