Images of War

"—I see all the little signs, getting ready in the hospitals &c.—it is dreadful, when one thinks about it—I sometimes think over the sights I have myself seen, the arrival of the wounded after a battle, & the scenes on the field too, & I can hardly believe my own recollection—what an awful thing war is—Mother, it seems not men but a lot of devils & butchers butchering each other—"

Walt Whitman in a letter to his mother dated March 22, 1864

Some Thoughts on the Trinity

"In one sense the doctrine of the Trinity is our admission--as beings created and finite, fallen and flawed--that we simply cannot fully grasp all that God is... ...The doctrine of the Trinity represents a chastened admission that we are unable to master God."

"The doctrine of the Trinity gathers together the richness of the complex Christian understanding of God; it yields a vision of God to which the only appropriate response is adoration and devotion. The doctrine knits together into a coherent whole the Christian doctrines of creation, redemption, and sanctification. By doing so, it sets before us a vision of God who created the world, whose glory can be seen reflected in the wonders of the natural order; a God who redeemed the world, whose love can be seen in the tender face of Christ; and a God who is present now in the lives of believers."

(Allister E. McGrath; "The Doctrine of the Trinity: An Evangelical Reflection"; God the Holy Trinity: Reflections on Christian Faith and Practice; Timothy George, Editor; (Baker Academic, 2006)

Pilgrims' Hymn - Stephen Paulus

This & That

 
Thoughts on Retirement: I heartily recommend retirement as long as you do not have to spend it living in a cardboard box under a freeway overpass.  Every day is "Saturday" except Sunday, and Monday through Saturday are all "jeans day".  Naps are nice... I recommend them.  Not having to go to work or come home from work in a blizzard is nice too.  A cold snow-bound day at home retired will always beat a day in the office...   Did I mention the naps and sleeping-in in the morning?

The New Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T5i.... My choice from the options for the company retirement gifts.  I'm just getting in to figuring out some of the bells and whistles. 

The Long Winter 2013-2014:  We have had close to record snowfall this year, and some really cold weather. As I write this, I look out the window and we are getting another heavy snowfall.

 The woods behind our house.

                          The spirea bush in its Winter slumber...

Good Reading: Affirming the Apostles Creed

Affirming the Apostles' Creed by J. I. Packer (Crossway, 2008)

Though not an extended exposition of the Apostles' Creed, these reflections by J.I. Packer are very solid, and helpful The chapters are relatively short and are very devotional in writing style. But that devotional aspect does not detract from the solid basic foundational theological truths Packer reflects upon. This devotional design of the book makes it very suitable for personal devotions or as a study guide in a group setting. It would be very suitable to use as an introduction to basic foundational Christian beliefs.

I personally found Packer's discussion of what it means for Christ to be "eternally begotten" by the Father to be very helpful. God the Father and God the Son forever and eternally have had that Father/Son relationship.

Packer's discussion of the more controversial phrase "he descended into hell" was equally helpful. There is a difference in how the New Testament uses the words "hades" and "gehenna". Thus the use of the word "hades" in Acts 2:27 provides an understanding of "the descent into hell" as emphasizing the fullness and completeness of Jesus Christ's experience of death.

I have no hesitation in recommending this book as an introduction to the Apostles' Creed, and the foundational Biblical truths the Creed teaches.

~ The Billy Goat ~

Have Ye Not Known - Ye Shall Have A Song

The link below will take you to the YouTube page of the video of the National Lutheran Choir performing Randall Thompson's "Have Ye Not Known/Ye Shall Have a Song" based on the texts of Isaiah 40:21 and 30:29. Unfortunately embedding of this video is not allowed, so I can only provide the link. Many years ago we were in the Evangelical Choral Society of Grand Rapids, Michigan and this was one of the pieces we performed. It is very beautiful and I think if you love music at all, you will enjoy this.

National Lutheran Choir: Have Ye Not Known

"Have ye not known? have ye not heard? hath it not been told you from the beginning? have ye not understood from the foundations of the earth?" (Isaiah 40:21)

"Ye shall have a song, as in the night when a holy solemnity is kept; and gladness of heart, as when one goeth with a pipe to come into the mountain of the LORD..." (Isaiah 30:29)

Receiving Christ

"But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name..." (John 1:12)

The above verse which has been used in some popular Gospel presentations, is that verse used to press upon the the unbeliever's conscience the need to receive Christ. It is phrased several different ways; "Receive Christ as your personal savior." or "Receive Christ as your Lord and savior." among others,

This of course begs several questions. Who is the "Him" we are to receive? also, what does it mean to "receive" Him?

In the context of the verse above, the "Him" is the one who is the Word that was with the Father in verses 1-4, and became flesh and dwelt among (vs 14). It is the "Him" who has been eternally with the Father and eternally begotten of the Father in the relationship of Father and Son.

In this context, the one who is the savior is the one who is Lord. Only He who is Lord can save us. How Savior and Lord became separated in the minds of some, I do not know. II Corinthians 2:17 speaks of those who ""corrupt the Gospel"... The imagery is that of a bartender watering down the wine. What the buyer gets is not the undiluted 100% pure wine they thought they were paying for. We need to be wary in our use of John 1:12 not to water down the meaning of the text as it comes to us in the broader context of John 1.

And what did John have in mind when he used the word "receive" in John 1:12 as quoted above? John 20:30-31 gives us the answer.

"Therefore many other signs Jesus also performed in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name."

There is much more that could be said on this point, but I will leave that for another time.

~ The Billy Goat ~

Of Those Who Showed Us the Way

Pastor Ivan H. French of Winona Lake, Indiana passed away at 10:30 p.m. on Thursday, December 12, 2013 at Grace Village Health Care Facility, Winona Lake, Indiana at the age of 88.

He was the Pastor of Pleasant View Bible Church of Warsaw, Indiana from 1975-1992. After serving three churches, Professor Ivan French, taught for over 20 years at Grace College & Theological Seminary in Winona Lake, Indiana. He was known for his warm heart and humorous stories (what he called “illustrative anecdotes”) he taught Bible, theology, and church history with both an academic knowledge and practical application. His teaching infused a heart and energy for Christ and the church in the seminary program. During this time he continued to be active in pastoral ministry, campus leadership, global missions, and Bible conferences, encouraging and strengthening the men and women he had helped to train.

He was a member of IFCA (Independent Fundamental Churches of America), and was on the Board of Directors of Spanish World Ministries. Ivan also served in the U.S. Marine Corps during World War II and was honorably discharged in May 1946.

Ivan was born on April 14, 1925 in Ontario, Oregon to Harry French and Anna Maude (Wright) French. On September 17, 1944 he was married to Arloeen Edith (Krause) French, who survives in Winona Lake, Indiana.

He also leaves behind his daughter: LaNita French (Warsaw, Indiana); three sons: John (wife Christine) French (Winona Lake, Indiana); David (wife Lori) French (Manila, Philippines); Douglas French (LaPorte, Indiana); and four grandchildren: Suzanne (husband Shawn) Osborne (Ft. Wayne, Indiana); John David French (Winona Lake, Indiana); Alexandra French (Manila, Philippines); Tobin French (Manila, Philippines). He was preceded in death by his parents, two brothers, and four sisters.

There will be visitation on Thursday, December 19, 2013 from 2:00 p.m. 4:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. at Redpath-Fruth Funeral Home, 225 Argonne Road, Warsaw, Indiana.

A graveside service will be conducted on Friday, December 20, 2013 at 10:00 a.m. at Oakwood Cemetery of Warsaw. Those wishing to attend… please meet at the funeral home by 9:50 a.m. to go in procession to the cemetery.

His funeral service will be at 12:00 noon on Friday, December 20, 2013 at Pleasant View Bible Church, 2782 W. 200 N., Warsaw, Indiana and officiated by Pastor John French and Pastor Mike Hontz.

(Redpath-Fruth Funeral Home)

My grounding in the basics of the orthodox Christian faith came through the teaching of Professor Ivan French in our first year theology class at Grace Theological Seminary in Winona Lake, Indiana. Of all the seminary classes I took, that first year theology class was the most formative for me as we studied the nature, character and attributes of the Triune God. I still have the notes from those classes from Prof French.

It was also clear to us who benefited from his teaching that Ivan French's instruction came from a heart of genuine pastoral concern for us as students, and the people of God at large. Professor French left a positive mark on my life as well as the other countless number of students and congregational members who were under his ministry. He pointed out to us the way.

Well done, thou good and faithful servant. Rest in the peace of your Lord and Savior...

Passing Seasons

This day, December 5, has now become something of a double anniversary day for me.

One year ago today Mom passed away. A few short weeks later, Dad left us also.

Back in late December of last year, after my parents funerals, when I set the date for my then upcoming retirement, I didn't realize at the time that the day I picked was the 1 year anniversary of Mom's death. That realization did not hit me until about two months ago.

This day has come and one year after Mom's passing, after 34 years at my place of work I retired. It was time to go. There were some practical considerations in picking this day to retire, but it is also somewhat ironic. I think both Mom and Dad would be pleased if they knew.

This "retirement" thing is still a little surreal. Many years ago my Father in-law died of a massive heart attack about 7 months before his planned retirement, and 4 months before the birth of our oldest child. Back in March of last year (2012) a good friend of mine collapsed and died. He was three months from his own retirement.

Seeing things like that make you wonder, and as my wife and I approached this time of life, the thought in the back of our minds was , "Will we make it?" I found myself figuratively holding my breath until just before noon today, I walked out the office door for the last time. Some 9 hours later in this day, my mind has still not warped itself around the reality that I am now "retired". I don't know how many more years we will have, but of one thing I am very certain; each day is a gift; a gift from God; a gift of mercy and grace.

Even as last year at this time my life was unalterably changed with the death of my aged parents, so this year my life is again unalterably changed by the significant life event of retirement.

I am reminded of how much of Abraham's life as it has been recorded in Genesis was days, weeks, even years of mundane living. His revelatory encounters with God would occasionally break up that mundane regular cycle of life, but those times in Abraham's life were the exception and not the norm of his day to day living.

I have had enough of significant life events over the past year. I'm ready to enter a new pattern of day to day mundanes for a while. I want to concentrate on finishing up some writing projects. I have some genealogical research to return to and pick up on. I have retirement funds to manage and blog posts to write. I am ready for a sabbatical from the regular working world; a time to rest, recoup, and do some of the things that the 40 hour work week never really left me time for.

Soli Deo Gloria!

How the New Million Dollars is the Old One Hundred Thousand Dollars

Back in the late 1950’s to early 1960’s we would watch a TV program called “The Millionaire”. A very extremely wealthy man would somewhat randomly pick out a person and give that person a gift of $ 1,000,000. The story lines for the show revolved around how said person reacted to being the recipient of that gift and the impact of that gift upon their life. How many of us who watched that show way back when, would wish and think of what it would be like to be the recipient of such a largess. A Millionaire, someone who had a million dollars, was considered fabulously rich and set for life; like Jed Clampet, the mountain man who upon inadvertently finding oil on his land, became a Millionaire and moved to California to settle in the affluent Beverly Hills neighborhood as the “Beverly Hillbillies”.

Then there was the time in one of my high school classes, when the teacher asked us to write a paper answering the question, “What would you do if you had $ 100,000?” Though I did not think of or recognize much of the deeper importance of the assignment at the time, I find it of interest to look back at what I put down in that little essay. In that writing assignment, I used the $100,000 to set myself up in farming. Out of the hundred thousand, based on prices of that time, there was enough to buy an eighty acre plot of land; equipment for a hog feeding operation and the needed field equipment. In today’s world that $100,000 would barely pay for the eighty acres, depending on the quantity of arable acres and general fertility of said land.

Some almost fifty years later, I find it of interest that in that high school assignment back in the mid 1960’s, I spent that money on something that would give me some kind of return on the investment. There may have been enough left for that Mustang I have for ever since regretted not buying, but though I did not deliberately look at it or think of it that way, my focus was on something I thought I would enjoy doing and that would also give me, if managed properly, a steady return and income over time. The other thing I find valuable in looking back on that high school assignment, is to realize just what could have been done with that $100,000 fifty years ago as compared to what can be done with $100,000 in today’s money.

Before I continue, I want to make some other comparisons between the prices of things in the mid to late 1960’s compared to today. This comparison will be given in an anecdotal way as a memoir. That said, the numbers quoted can be easily verified.

I remember when:

Regular gasoline was between 25¢ to 35¢ per gallon. Today it fluctuates, depending on where you live, from $3.00 to $4.00 per gallon. To make the math easy let me put it this way: The gallon of gas I paid 35¢ for now costs me $3.50; a tenfold increase in price.

A loaf of bread could be had for 25¢. Now days it is hard to find a decent loaf of bread for less than $2.50; another tenfold increase.

Hamburger/ground beef could be had for 24¢ per pound; now days expect to pay $2.50 or more depending on quality or if on sale; another tenfold increase.

A week’s wages of $70.00, based on $1.75 per hour over a 40 hour week, was considered a decent wage, and a family could make due and get by on it. Now days, I can easily spend $70.00 a week on groceries alone. Or if I didn’t want to eat, I could use $50 to $60 of it just to fill a gas tank that I use to fill for $3 to $4 in 1965 money, and just maybe I would have enough left over for the $12.00 haircut that fifty years ago I paid 75¢ for.

Do you get the picture?

I could go on and on, but don’t take my word for it. Go to Google or any other WWW search engine and do a search on “1965 prices”. You will find all the data you need and more to substantiate the observations I have made from memory.

The raw fact is that $1,000,000 in today’s money only has roughly the buying power of what $100,000 use to have back in the mid 1960’s. To have in today’s money the equivalent of what $1,000,000 was fifty years ago, you would need $10,000,000. “The Millionaire” TV program from that time period would have to be renamed “The Ten Millionaire”. The 1960’s game show called “The $100,000 Question” would have to be renamed “The Million Dollar Question” as we have found in “Who Wants to be a Millionaire?”

Those of us in the Baby Boomer generation know all this. We may not think about it much; we may and do ignore the evidence before our very eyes over the last fifty years. We may not think it matters that much, but my point is, if we thought about it seriously, the history we observed and lived through tells us something about the nature of money in our economy over time and how in that light we should view investments and savings.

To quote Ronald Baron in a recent Baron Funds Quarterly Report (September 30, 2013):

"Virtually all currencies either die or are devalued. That is why we believe currencies are useful to buy and sell things, not as a “store of value”."

The point Baron makes sheds a bright beam of light on the Achilles’ heel of how the vast majority of us still consciously or subconsciously think about money. Many of us handle our money as though money itself is still a “store of value”.

To help illustrate this, let’s go back to our $1,000,000 in today’s money which as we have illustrated above, is the $100,000 of fifty years ago.

If you put that $1,000,000 in a savings account at a bank or credit union, what interest would you get at today’s rates?

In my latest Credit Union statement, with regard to my savings account I was told my “Annual Percentage Yield Earned (APYE) is 0.05%...” Not much, is it?

A half percent on $1,000,000 is $5,000 per year. Not much, is it? Notice also that $5,000 would equal a 5% return on $100,000. Could you live in the U.S. or in any other developed country on only $5,000 a year? Also realize that over time the future value of your $1,000,000 will continue to shrink in comparison to the value it holds today.

Now do some simple math. If I can get 5% per year on $1,000,000, my gross annual yield on the $1,000,000 is $50,000. I dare say most of us could get by on $50,000 per year if we had to. We would also be better off than 98.5% of the rest of the world’s population. (Notice I am leaving Social Security out of the discussion at this point.)

That then begs the question, “What can I put my money into that will give me that 5% or more return per year, and at the same time maintain some semblance of current value over time through growth in so called “capital gains”?”

You see where this is headed don’t you?

Ouch!

More to come in later posts...